31 Days, 31 Drabbles
by 0nce Upon My Story
Summary: A series of James/Lily drabbles, written for the Inktober Fanfiction Challenge of 2019
1. Day 1 - Ring

**A/N: hello and welcome to my take of the 2019 Inktober Fanfiction Challenge! For those of you who are thinking ****_wait, the what? _****feel free to check out this link (**topic/44309/178492581/1/2019-Inktober-Fanfiction-Challenge**)** **to the challenge itself.**

**And now on a different, slightly less cheerful note – the DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Harry Potter and I'm still not making any money writing fanficton. (sigh) But, oh well, at least I have a lot of fun doing it.**

**Here's to fanfiction!**

* * *

James ran a hand through his already messy hair in frustration. _Why is this so hard?_

As though reading his mind, his best mate Sirius Black gave a deep chuckle from beside him. "It's not that hard, Prongs. You make it hard."

"I want it to be perfect," he said.

"There's your answer," Sirius said. "This is hard because you're such a bloody perfectionist. Evans will love any ring you get her."

"That's not the point," he defended. "It has to be _special."_

"You're picking out an engagement ring, Prongs, not having dinner with the Queen! Ease up a little."

"You wouldn't be saying the same if it was Marlene," James said slyly.

"I'd know better than to bring _you _along," Sirius countered saucily.

"Who would you bring, then?" James asked, curious despite himself.

"Moony," Sirius answered without batting an eyelash. "He's good with that kind of thing."

James slapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Maybe because your head's too full of the admittedly lovely Lily," Sirius jibed. "Oh, and maybe because Moony is currently in America."

"Damn," James muttered. Sirius had a point – he _was _thinking more about Lily than anything else.

"You two are nauseatingly sweet," Sirius said blandly.

James rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Can we go back to the rings now?"

"You're the one who kept talking, Prongs."

_"I'm _the one who kept – where you even _here _for the last five minutes?"

"Stop talking and start looking at rings," Sirius chastised.

James opened and closed his mouth in indignation. Sirius just rolled his eyes and moved on.

Nearly an hour later, James was almost ready to give up entirely. "We're never going to find it," he complained to Sirius, who was looking more annoyed by the second.

"Sweet Merlin, Prongs!" he exploded after a minute or so of morose silence. "You drag me here with ridiculously sappy speeches about how much you loooooove Lily, and now you're just _giving up?"_

"Well, there's nothing here that… feels right," James defended lamely.

Sirius ran his hand through his hair in frustration. _He must be really annoyed to be picking up on _my _bad habits, _James reflected absent-mindedly.

"I'll tell you what doesn't _feel right," _Sirius snapped, interrupting James's musings. "You being so disgustingly excited about proposing to Lily, and then half-way through deciding you're just going to drop it."

"You're right, of course you are," James said distractedly, walking over to the very last display of rings. "I shouldn't be giving up so easily. After all, it's _Lily."_

"That's the spirit," Sirius encouraged, untactfully coughing something that sounded like _"finally" _into his sleeve.

But James didn't bother to call him out on it, because he had found it.

It was everything he had been looking for, and more_. _A slender silver band set with a single vivid emerald, with two smaller diamonds on either side. Nothing too ostentatious, and not too simple either – just what Lily would want.

"Sirius?" he called, picking up the ring. "I think I've found it."

Sirius dropped everything, making a huge clatter (he didn't seem to care much, though) and ran to James's side. "Really? Well, let's see it, then."

Reverently, James passed him the little box.

Sirius sucked in a sharp breath. "Mate…"

"It's perfect, don't you think?" James asked, taking the box back and looking down at the ring with a huge smile.

"Now I see why you wouldn't take anything else," was all Sirius could say.

* * *

"I've got the ring, now I just need to figure out how to ask her," James said, pacing nervously up and down Sirius and Marlene's living room.

"Calm down," his cousin advised, tucking a stray blonde curl behind one ear. "I've seen the ring and it's perfect. You've got nothing to worry about."

"_That's _not what I'm worrying about, Marls! What if –"

"Merlin, James, she's not going to say no."

"I know that – at least, I hoped – well, no, I'm sure she won't, but –"

"Then what are you worrying about?" Marlene folded her arms, arching an eyebrow at him in a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"How do I ask her, Marly?"

"It's not that complicated," she said drily. "You open your mouth and say the words _Lily Evans, will you marry me?"_

"I know _that," _he snorted, amused despite himself (which, he reflected, had probably been the point all along.) "But the setting, Marly. Where? When?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters!" James gaped at his cousin, scandalised.

"You're such a romantic," she said, rolling her eyes with a mixture of affection and exasperation. "Myself, I'd want to be asked right after a particularly good shag."

_"Marlene!"_

"Okay, okay!" she relented, holding up her hands and (rather inefectually) hiding her smirk.

"You're Lily's best friend," he informed her.

"I know that," she answered sardonically.

_"So, _what do you think Lily would want in a proposal?"

Marlene was silent for a few moments, thinking. "She's a romantic, just like you," she began after a while. "So… take her out for a candle-lit dinner and a beach walk or something."

Meeting his eyes, she continued, "But the thing is, James, she loves you, and she'll say yes even if you ask her covered in cowpats."

He had to laugh at that image.

"Thanks," he said, pulling Marlene into an affectionate hug.

"Did I help?" she asked, slightly muffled by his shoulder.

"Not really," he admitted. "But you managed to make me stop stressing."

She smiled affectionately at him. "Excellent. Now, go get her, James."

He resolved to do just that.

* * *

He ended up asking her that same night, despite his grand plans of taking her to France.

It just slipped out, but looking back, he couldn't be happier.

They had been having a quiet dinner at home, just the two of them, and they were just getting ready for their traditional Friday night movie session (after Lily had introduced James to the wonders of TV, he had insisted they make watching it a weekly thing.)

The kitten had been mewing pathetically for the past ten minutes, and Lily had scooped it into her arms and sang softly to it until it dozed off on her shoulder. She had looked up at James, and her smile had lit up her entire face.

"Will you marry me?" he had blurted.

Lily's mouth had dropped open, her hand freezing on the kitten's back. Then she had broken into the biggest smile he had ever seen on her.

"Of _course," _she had breathed, and then she was in his arms and he was kissing her and thinking how much he loved her.

They had broken apart when the kitten woke up and mewed, pawing at Lily's hair in dissatisfaction.

"Spoil-sport," he had told it good-naturedly, before reaching into his pocket for the ring.

"Oh, James, you didn't have to…" Lily had tried to protest.

He had cut her off by slipping the ring onto her finger. "Of course I did, Lily. I love you."

"I love you too," she had whispered, raising her hand and admiring the ring. "Oh, James, it's perfect."

_"You're _perfect," he had corrected gently, leaning in and kissing her lovingly on the lips.

They were curled up together in the bed now, their fingers laced, matching smiles on their faces. Just before he fell asleep, James thought that there was no feeling more wonderful than that of the ring on Lily's finger pressing into his palm.

* * *

**A/N: so my idea was to make this a multi-chapter, semi-chronological Jily series (semi-chronological in the sense that the main story will start here, at the proposal, and work through to Lily's pregnancy, with loads of flashbacks in between.)**

**Thanks a million for reading, and an extra thank you if you, too, are participating in the Inktober challenge.**

**As always, reviews are amazing and very much appreciated.**

**Cheers**


	2. Day 2 - Mindless

**A/N: a huge thank-you to everybody who took the time to read the first installment of my Inktober fanfic work. Thanks especially to ReadThingsWriteThings and TheElvinDemigodDW2 for the favourites – it's very much appreciated, guys. **

**Chapter 2 is a direct continuation of Chapter 1 – I had this grand plan of making it a flashback, but when I sat down, this short-and-sweet little "morning after" piece just wrote itself. I hope you like it!**

* * *

"Morning," Lily's soft voice in his ears, followed by her fingers tracing gently across his cheek, roused James from the pleasant dream he had been having.

"Mmm," he said half-heartedly, not willing to give up on the dream just yet. It had been such a wonderful dream, too – he had proposed to Lily, and she had said yes!

"Come on, James," she said again, and he felt the brush of something cold on his cheek. Startled, he opened his eyes, shocked and delighted in equal parts to see the engagement ring from his dream on Lily's finger.

"It wasn't a dream?" he asked, blinking up at Lily's hazy figure.

She chuckled deep in her throat. "Merlin, James, you really _are _mindless in the mornings."

He flailed an arm in the direction of the bedside cabinet, groping blearily for his glasses. Still chuckling softly to herself, Lily reached over and put them on for him.

"Thanks," he said, blinking as the world came into focus. His vision immediately zeroed in on the ring on Lily's finger, and he broke into a massive smile.

"Yes, you prat," she said, laughing. "It really happened."

"That's no way to address your fianceé," he chastised, grin widening.

"You wanted to say that really badly, didn't you?" she teased, lips quirking in a playful smile.

"Absolutely," he said.

Lily snorted, but there was affection shining in her gaze. "You might be prat, but you're _my _prat."

"And you're my flower," he countered, returning her affectionate smile and leaning over to kiss her.

She dodged, whacking him over the head with a pillow. "I told you never to call me that!"

He grinned up at her, not at all apologetic. "You know you love me really, Evans."

She leaned down so that her lips just brushed his, then leapt up and scampered out of his reach, standing just inside the door with her arms folded and her eyes glimmering with mischief. "You're sure about that, Potter?"

"Hey!" he protested, touching a finger to his lips. "That was _not _a kiss! Come back and do it properly."

"You _wanted _to call me your flower," she said, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"All right, all right, I take it back," he said, raising his hands in surrender.

"That's more like it," she said approvingly. "But if you want a proper snog, you're going to have to get up and meet me in the kitchen."

"You're heartless!" he called after her retreating back. "Heartless!"

But he got out of bed nevertheless, and made sure he got that snog.

* * *

Later that day, he was helping Lily wash the dishes, marvelling at how she managed to look so beautiful even covered with soapy suds.

When he voiced these thoughts, she laughed at him. "You still haven't gotten over your morning mindlessness, have you?"

"I don't mind being mindless as long as you're in my mind," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Lily protested, crossing her arms and pretending to scowl at him, but her sparkling eyes gave her away.

He pulled her into his arms, lowering his head until their foreheads were just brushing. "But you love me?"

"I do," she smiled, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Morning mindlessness was really not that bad, James reflected, especially not if he could share it with someone as wonderful as Lily.

* * *

**A/N: there's your daily dose of fluff satisfied! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it :)**


	3. Day 3 - Bait

**A/N: this chapter is a day late – sorry about that, guys, but Thursdays are just filled to the brim with lectures and deadlines for me. However, today is Friday, and an altogether more peaceful, good-for-writing kind of day. **

**Thank you so, so much to everybody who has reviewed and favourited this story – I really appreciate it, guys, thank you again! **

**And with no further ado (because honestly, I've kept you from Jily-land for long enough already) I present Chapter 3.**

* * *

James Potter and Lily Evans were infamous for their massive rows, even before the Lake Debacle, as their respective friends had taken to calling it.

Now, in their sixth year, it was _worse, _if that was even possible.

Since James's appointment of as Quidditch Captain, he had been (in Lily's words) more unbearable than ever.

That particular afternoon was no exception.

"Hey, Evans!" James called, jogging a little to catch up with her. His hand flew to his hair as she turned wearily around, folding her arms across her chest and arching an eyebrow at him.

"You going to Davies's party this weekend?" he asked, doing his best to sound casual.

"No, Potter, for the seventeenth time today, I am not," she answered tersely, already turning around and beginning to walk away.

James grabbed her arm, spinning her back around to face him. "Oh come _on, _Evans, it'll be fun! Besides, _I'll _be there."

"And that," Lily said, shaking off his hand with an expression of intense disgust, "is why I'm _not _going."

"Aww, you don't mean that," James said, putting a hand to his chest and adopting a stricken pose. "You wound me, Evans!"

"Good," she said coldly, turning away again.

But he wasn't ready to give up just yet. This time, he caught her by the hem of her robes, "accidentally" pulling her to the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologised easily, offering his hand to help her up.

But Lily was not fooled. "Sorry my arse," she said, slapping his hand away with a thunderous scowl.

"And it's a jolly nice one, too," he said cheekily.

"Potter, are you _trying _to get yourself hexed?" she asked in a tone of forced calm.

"No, actually," he said innocently. "I'm trying to get myself a date."

Lily exploded. "Of all the egotistical, arrogant braggarts in the world, you have got to be the most infuriating. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going to go out with you? Do I have to hex it into your thick skull before the message sinks in?"

"I do not have a thick skull," he said, offended.

"No, you're right," Lily amended. "You have an unusually flexible skull to keep up with your ever-inflating head."

"My head is not inflated!"

"Potter, you are the most self-centred, spoiled human being I have ever had the displeasure of meeting."

"And you're the most stuck-up, swotty teacher's pet I know," he retaliated.

"Better that than the least popular boy in school," she said dismissively.

"I am not the least popular boy in school," he said, outraged. "That's a distinction that falls solely to Snivellus."

"You leave Severus out of this," Lily snarled, eyes blazing with anger.

"Why should I?" he challenged (a very foolish move, in hindsight.)

"Because he's – _was – _my best friend, and I won't let you insult him like that, no matter what," she said fiercely.

"But he's a git!" James protested.

"ENOUGH!" Lily shouted. Before he had time to react, she had her wand out and was pointing it threateningly at his chest.

"I'm giving you a last warning, Potter. Stop baiting me _right now _or I will make you regret it."

"I wasn't baiting you," he said defensively, realising belatedly that this might not have been the wisest move.

"Oh, you weren't baiting me? You just happened to _forget _that I had already said no to you _seventeen times – _and that's just today – so you could ask me one more time?"

"Er…" he said awkwardly.

"And that's not all! You insult my best friend – only he's _not _my best friend any more, is he, all because of _you!"_

He was startled to see that her eyes were glistening with tears. "I didn't mean…" he tried, but Lily cut him off irately.

"Of course you _meant _to do it, Potter. You always mean to do it."

Dropping her wand, she gave him her most contemptuous glare and marched out of the room. "I never want to speak to you again, Potter. Do you understand that? _Never."_

* * *

James woke up with a start, his breath ragged, her words still echoing in his ears. "Lily?" he whispered, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers to assure himself that she was really there.

She stirred slightly beside him, muttering something that was probably along the lines of _"it's three AM, James, what in Merlin's name is your problem?"_

Despite the irritation that laced her words, James couldn't help the smile that broke across his face. She was speaking to him. Everything was alright. His dream had been just that – a dream.

Lily was speaking again, her voice heavy with sleep. "What is it, James?"

"Do you remember when we were still at school we used to have these massive rows?"

"We're going to end up having another one if you keep waking me up at times like this," she said grumpily, sitting up and giving her pillow a longing look.

"No!" he said, leaping up so fast he ended up falling off the bed in a tangle of sheets and limbs.

Lily's face was concerned as she helped him back onto their bed. "I was just kidding, James, I promise."

"I know," he said, pulling her into a hug. "It's just a little hard to believe sometimes."

She sat back a little, arching her eyebrows just like she'd done in the dream. "Why is that?"

"I was such a prat when I was younger," he admitted, hanging his head.

He felt rather than saw Lily move closer to him. "Oh, James. Did you have another nightmare?"

"Yes," he confessed, still not looking up.

She placed a gentle hand on his chin, tilting his face up to hers and smiling softly, reassuringly down at him. "You don't have to worry about a thing, James. I'm here, and I'm here to stay."

When he refused to meet her eyes, she kissed him lightly on the lips, brushing her thumb tenderly across his cheek. "I mean it, James. I'm here for you. Always."

He let himself look up then, let himself return her smile. "Thank you, Lily."

"That's what I'm here for," she replied, pressing a quick kiss to his temple. "Now come back to bed."

He lay down next to her, twining his fingers with hers, and this time he _knew _he wouldn't have another nightmare.

* * *

**A/N: so, what did you think? Please do let me know! I love hearing from you guys :)**


	4. Day 4 - Freeze

**A/N: here we are (a day late, but hey, better late than never.)**

* * *

"James?"

He groaned, rolling over in bed and patting the spot where Lily was supposed to be lying. "Too early," he grumbled, forlornly pulling the duvet around him in place of her warmth.

"Come on, James, you're going to want to see this," Lily coaxed.

"I'll have a look in a few minutes," he said, burying his face in the pillow.

Sighing, Lily yanked the duvet off him.

James blinked blearily up at her. "Do you want me to freeze? Give it back!"

"Of course I don't want you to freeze," she huffed, exasperated. "But I _do _want you to get out of bed."

"Then give me my duvet back," he said in his most reasonable voice.

Lily snorted. "I'm not that stupid, James. If you want the duvet back, you're going to have to get it yourself."

"Where are you going with that?" he protested as she walked out of the room.

"There's something I want you to see. And if that means stealing your duvet and bribing you out of bed with it, I'll do it," was her dry reply.

"Remind me why I want to marry you?" he called after her retreating back.

"Because of the snogging, I'm sure," she shouted back, already half-way down the stairs.

Muttering to himself about duvet-stealers, James heaved himself out of the dismally cold bed and followed his fianceé down the stairs.

Lily was waiting for him on their small verandah, looking out at the garden with a contented smile on her face. "Look, James," she said in a wonder-filled voice. "Snow."

He sat down next to her, tugging the duvet from her grasp and wrapping it snugly around them both. "It's beautiful," he said, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers.

"Are you glad you got out of bed now?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him with an _I-told-you-so _kind of smile on her lips.

"Maaaybe," he hedged, tucking her body closer against his and wrapping an arm around her waist. "There is _one _thing I can think of that would make it perfect…"

"And what might that be?" Lily asked, looking up at him with a soft smile.

James reached up, tenderly brushing a small snowflake out of her fiery red hair. "Scratch that. It's _already _perfect."

"Does that answer your question from earlier?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh.

"What question?" he asked, faintly confused.

She rolled her eyes, but there was only affection in her tone when she replied. "You wanted to know why you were marrying me."

"Ah, yes. That," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Well, I might have a few ideas."

"Good ones, I hope," she said, her warm breath tickling his neck as she spoke.

"Always," he assured her. "I love you, Lily."

"I love you too," she said contentedly.

Sitting there, with Lily snuggled up to him, watching the snowflakes falling, James thought that there was nowhere on earth he would rather be.

* * *

**A/N: fluff, fluff, fluff! This chapter was almost entirely warm, fuzzy, feel-good-y fluff. But there's nothing quite like fluff to get you smiling contentedly again, especially after a long week. (Hint: I had a long week.) **

**The next chapter should be out later today, then I'll be caught up again! Hooray! **


	5. Day 5 - Build

**A/N: as promised, here is Day 5 for you guys! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"Lily? Where are you?" James called, opening and closing doors at random in hopes of finding his fianceé.

No reply.

Strange. It wasn't at all like Lily to ignore him – unless, of course, she was immersed in a book, in which case she probably wouldn't even hear him.

Making his way towards the sunny parlour, where he knew Lily liked to sit and read, he threw open the door, a good-natured admonishment ready on his lips.

But Lily wasn't there.

"Lily? Love, I'm getting a little worried here," he called again, a little louder this time.

Still nothing.

James was beginning to get seriously worried. She wasn't reading in the parlour, and she wasn't busy in the kitchen, either.

She couldn't be in the bedroom – he had just come from there – and there was no reason for her to be in the guest room.

So where was she?

The only place he hadn't checked was the upstairs bathroom, but why would Lily be there?

Despite his misgivings, he ran up the stairs, throwing open the door to the bathroom.

It was empty.

"LILY!" he shouted, beginning to panic a little. Where could she be? She would have told him if she was going out, except if something had happened –

No, he couldn't think like that. She had to be around somewhere; she just _had_ to.

He wouldn't be able to bear it if she wasn't.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, James mentally ran through the plan of their cottage. Was there anywhere he hadn't checked?

It came to him in a sudden jolt of realisation. _The attic!_

Charging up the stairs again, he ran to the very back of the corridor and up the second set of stairs half-hidden in the shadows there. He had to bend nearly double, but he hardly even noticed the discomfort.

Reaching the door, he grabbed the knob and twisted.

It was locked.

James's face split in a relieved grin. If Lily could lock the attic door, it meant she was all right.

Scrabbling in the pocket of his robes for his wand, he tapped the knob and muttered a quick _"Alohomora" _to unlock it.

Rather to his surprise, the lock clicked open.

If Lily had been really furious or upset, she would definitely have used the counter-charm. He had been fully prepared to stand there for hours on end, trying every transfiguration and charm he could think of to get into the attic.

But it seemed that would be unnecessary.

"Lily?" he asked, gently pushing the door open.

He heard a muffled gasp and a soft thump from within, then Lily herself appeared in the doorway, her eyes red and her cheeks tear-stained.

"Lily!" he exclaimed, striding forward and wrapping his arms around her, concern replacing his worry at once. "What happened, Lily? Are you all right?"

She buried her head in his chest, sobbing lightly into his shirt.

He stroked her hair, murmuring soothingly in her ear as he held her. "It's going to be all right, Lily, I promise. I love you, and I'm going to make it all right."

"You c-can't," Lily said, hiccuping slightly as she pulled away from him, swiping angrily at the tears still shining in her green eyes.

"What is it, love? Tell me," he prompted, voice soft and encouraging.

Fresh tears welled up in Lily's eyes. "It's – it's nothing, really –"

"Of course it's not nothing," James corrected her firmly. "If you're upset, I'm upset. At least do me the favour of sharing with me what exactly I'm upset about?"

One corner of Lily's mouth turned up in a somewhat teary smile. "You're wonderful, you know that?"

"For you, love, I'll be anything," he promised.

Lily blushed, the soft pink contrasting fiercely with the tear tracks on her cheeks. "Stop being so… so _charming! _Can't you let me cry my eyes out in peace?_"_

"Of course I can't," he said, brushing a thumb across her jaw. "I love you."

"I love you too," she murmured.

"Tell me what's wrong, Lily," he said, caressing her cheek.

She sighed into his touch. "It's just – well, I was going through the wedding invitations –"

"You're not having second thoughts about marrying me, are you?" he asked, dread shooting through his belly.

Lily looked up at him, horrified. "No! Of course not! _Merlin."_

James could breathe again. Overcome with relief, he kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good," he breathed, pressing his forehead to hers.

She closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath to fortify herself. When she opened them again, her eyes were bright with resolve.

"I was going through the wedding invitations, making a list of who could come and who couldn't," she began again. "Then I found – this."

With a heavy sigh, she reached into the pocket of her robes, pulling out a small white envelope.

_James Potter and Lily Evans are getting married! _was printed in cheerful gold script along the top.

Right underneath that was printed:

_Mr and Mrs Vernon Dursley _

_4 Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging, Surrey_

Confused as to what had upset Lily, James turned the envelope over.

And then he saw it. The seal hadn't even been broken.

Vernon and Petunia had sent the invitation back unopened.

"Oh, Lily," he said, pulling her into his arms again. She began to sob anew, her tears staining the front of his robes.

"I know it's s-stupid," she said, voice shaking as she sobbed, "but sh-she's the only family I have left, and I thought… I hoped this wedding could bring us t-together again."

"That's not stupid, Lily," he assured her. "I think it's beautiful."

She just buried her head in his chest and continued to cry.

James felt absolutely helpless, and he hated it. He searched his mind for something, _anything, _that he could say that would make Lily feel better –

Suddenly he knew exactly what he had to say.

"I'm not going to say that you should forget about her," he began, stroking her red hair soothingly. "I know you can't do that, and I wouldn't want you to, either. But, Lily, she's not the only family you have anymore."

Tilting her face up to his, he said softly, "We'll build a new family together."

A smile – small and tremulous, but a smile nonetheless – spread slowly across Lily's face. "You mean that?"

James kissed her, tender and slow and full of all the love he felt for her. "With all my heart."

* * *

**A/N: that was rather different to everything we've had before – what did you guys think about it? Personally, I rather liked it. Please do let me know if you did too, so I can decide if I'm going to do something similar in a later chapter or not.**

**As always, thanks a million for reading, and an extra thank you if you favourited or reviewed this! **

**See you guys tomorrow :)**


	6. Day 6 - Husky

**A/N: I tweaked with canon a little bit in this chapter – but isn't that exactly what fanfiction is for? See, canonically the Potters have a cat, who for some reason is often called Algernon in fanfiction (I've never quite been able to figure out why, but it's hilarious, so I tend to just go with it.) In this chapter, I changed the Potters' pet to a puppy – you guessed it, a husky. **

**As always, thanks a million for reading, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter of _31 Days, 31 Drabbles._**

* * *

Anyone who knew Lily Evans could immediately tell you that she was an uncommonly kind woman. But few would have guessed exactly how far-reaching that kindness was – except perhaps for one James Potter (but if he was being honest, the Sunday Husky Affair, as Sirius had taken to calling it, caught even him by surprise.)

It happened like this.

On the Sunday in question, James and Lily were having dinner with Sirius and Marlene – nothing particularly fancy, just a tradition they had made since graduating from Hogwarts.

As usual, there was playful banter aplenty, especially between James and Marlene. James was insistent that Marlene and Sirius should get engaged as well, stating (with Lily's happy agreement) that it was the best feeling in the world. Marlene shut them down by saying, much to Sirius's amusement and Lily's embarrassment, that she thought "a bloody big diamond would get in the way when we're _celebrating the occasion."_

James was so busy laughing and teasing Marlene right back that he completely failed to notice the soft, piteous whining outside the door.

Lily, being Lily, noticed at once, of course.

"Shut up, you lot," she said, and the whole table quieted, looking at her in mute astonishment. "Do you hear something outside?"

They listened for a few moments, but there was nothing to be heard.

"Er, Lily –" Sirius began, but stopped as a weak howl sounded from the verandah.

"That's it," Lily said, jumping up with a concerned expression on her face. "Whatever is making that noise sounds like it could be hurt."

Ignoring James's cautionary cry of "Lily!" she threw open the front door, putting a hand to her mouth and gasping at whatever she saw.

"What is it?" James asked, drawing his wand and moving over to stand protectively beside his fianceé.

"Look," Lily said in a tender voice, bending and picking something up from the doorstep.

James looked, and saw a small bundle of fluff with bright blue eyes cradled cosily in Lily's arms.

"It's a baby wolf!" he said, taking a step away. "Put it down, Lily, it might bite you!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Sirius scoffed. "That's no wolf. And there's no way it can hurt Lily – just look at those tiny teeth!"

Right on cue, the puppy yawned, displaying several rows of _terrifying _half-centimeter teeth.

"Oh, er, right," James said, flushing and reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Well, what kind of a dog is it, then?"

"I think it's a husky," Lily said, cooing down at the puppy. "My neighbour had one when I was in primary school."

"He's adorable," Marlene said, coming over to stroke the puppy's soft white head.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, drawing her hand away sharply. "He's bleeding!"

Sure enough, there was a stain of dark red on the puppy's white neck. Lily looked horrified.

"What happened to you, you poor baby?" she asked, fingers hovering above the vicious cut. "James, fetch some dittany, would you?"

"Right, of course," he said, snapping out of his embarrassed stupor and heading towards Lily's potion cupboard.

Soon enough, the little husky's cut was treated, and the puppy himself was sound asleep in Lily's arms (a spot which he hadn't left since they had first heard him whining at the door, James couldn't help but notice.)

"What are we going to do with him?" he asked Lily later that evening. Trying not to sound too hopeful, he said as casually as he could, "I saw one of those Muggle pet shelter things just out of town this morning."

"We're not giving him to a _shelter," _Lily said, as though the very idea was unthinkable. "We'll keep him, of course."

"We will?" James asked, unable to hide the grumpiness in his tone.

"Of course!" she said, turning to him with wide, sparkling green eyes.

Well, when faced with that look, how could he refuse?

"Just as long as you don't forget about _me _while you're busy with him," he muttered sulkily.

Lily stopped mid-step, the soft song she was humming to the puppy dying on her lips. "What did you just say?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," James answered, already embarrassed by his outburst.

"You're not jealous of the _puppy, _are you, James?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed, entirely unconvincingly, he had to admit.

Lily's lips twitched with barely-suppressed laughter. "You're ridiculous sometimes, James."

"Well, you haven't been giving _me _any attention since the puppy arrived," he complained before he could stop himself.

Lily's eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing into her hairline. "Oh, so now you need attention?"

"Haven't you always said I want nothing but attention?" He regretted it as soon as the words had left his mouth. Lily's forehead crinkled in a frown, her green eyes flashing dangerously.

"James Fleamont Potter! Stop being immature this instant and tell me what's really wrong," she said in a soft, threatening tone.

"It's just – well, I can't help but feel that someday you'll find someone who's much, much better for you than I could ever be, and –"

"And you thought that someone might be a _dog?"_

"Of course not! I just – I'm just so terrified that you'll leave me someday that I get paranoid over the smallest things."

Lily's thunderous expression softened into a gentle smile. "Oh, James."

Placing the puppy on the floor, she walked over to him with quick, light footsteps, stopping just in front of him with her left hand held out to him. "Do you see this ring, James?"

He nodded, unsure where she was going with this.

"When I accepted this ring, I did so knowing that you were the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. Nothing will ever change that."

Smiling, she placed her palm on his cheek, her green eyes searching his. "I'm with you until the end, James. I promise."

"You're amazing," he said fervently, pulling her close for a long kiss.

The puppy barked from his position on the floor, wagging his little tail furiously.

Giving Lily a quick grin, James knelt down until he was at the little creature's eye-level. "Sorry I was so stupid about you before," he told it as contritely as possible. "Fortunately, my fantastic fianceé here helped me see just how ridiculous I was being. Welcome to the family, little guy."

Lily was smiling proudly at him when he stood up. "That's the James I know," she said contentedly, pulling him in for another kiss.

"Sorry for going all insecure on you, love," he apologised, burying his head in her sweet-scented hair.

"Just because we're engaged, that doesn't mean we have to be perfect all the time," Lily reminded him. "I agreed to marry you, insecurities and all, and you did the same for me. And that's exactly how it should be."

"When did you get so wise?" he asked, amazed.

Lily smiled. "Well, it might have had something to do with this wonderful man asking me to be his wife."

"Really?"

"Mmm," she hummed, running her hands through his hair. "He made me realise a lot of things."

"Oh?"

"Yes," she said, smiling up at him with pure happiness shining in her green eyes. "But most importantly, he made me realise that love is the most important thing that anyone can ever find."

"I love you, Lily," he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers and kissing her lightly.

She smiled, murmuring against his lips, "Love you too, James."

* * *

**A/N: sorry that this update came out a bit later than usual – it was a lovely lazy Sunday for me, and for the first half of it I just couldn't drag myself out of bed. Eventually, though, I did, and this is what I got for my efforts. I hope you guys liked it – if you did, please do leave me a review! I've said this before, and I'll say it again – there's nothing quite like a review to get the writing juices flowing. **

**See you guys tomorrow! **


	7. Day 7 - Enchanted

**A/N: this is without a doubt my favourite chapter so far. Enjoy!**

* * *

James fiddled anxiously with his bow-tie, trying his best to suppress the flutter of nerves that rose in his belly.

In five short minutes, he would walk into the ballroom and marry the love of his life. In five short minutes, he would marry Lily.

"Everything's going to be fine, mate," Sirius said softly from beside him. "You're going to walk into that hall, and then she's going to walk into that hall, and then we're all going to cry our eyes out because you two are so perfect."

"But what if –"

"Nothing's going to go wrong, James, I promise you. This is going to be the best day of your life."

He glanced down at his watch and cursed under his breath. "Time to go, Prongs. It's now or never. Still remember your vows?"

"Course I do," he muttered, dizzy with nerves. "You're sure nothing's going to go wrong? What if –"

"No more what-ifs, Prongs. I'm sick and tired of listening to you having a mental breakdown. We're going."

Not giving James a chance to protest, he shoved him bodily out of the door and towards the ballroom.

The doors swung open before them, revealing a long silver carpet with a flower-festooned altar at its end. Several rows of wooden benches, similarly draped with white flowers and ribbons, were lined up along the makeshift aisle, familiar faces beaming at him from each.

Swallowing his nerves, James walked down the aisle, giving small grins to all the people as he passed them. There was Moody, smiling gruffly and looking proud enough to put a father to shame, McGonagall, who looked on the verge of crying with joy, old Bathilda Bagshot, giving him a toothless but nevertheless enthusiastic smile, his parents, beaming despite their recent sickness, and last but not least Remus, Peter, Mary, Frank and Alice, who all waved at him with ecstatic grins.

Confidence bolstered, James took his place at the altar, rolling his eyes at Sirius's muttered _"about time." _

The doors creaked open again, and Lily stepped through them, blushing prettily and looking absolutely radiant in a snow-white dress.

James caught her eye, and broke out into what must have been the biggest smile of his life.

She returned it, green eyes sparkling with pure happiness as she walked slowly up the aisle towards him.

"You look so beautiful," he whispered to her as she took her place opposite him, smiling as she slipped her hand into his.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied, handing her bouquet to a beaming Marlene.

Coughing slightly to get the audience's attention, Dumbledore gave them a small wink before clearing his throat and beginning to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here today to witness the union of James Potter and Lily Evans…"

James gave Lily a quick smile, which she returned, both of them giddy with happiness.

Turning to James, Dumbledore asked, "Do you, James Fleamont, take Lily Jemma to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," he said, squeezing her hand softly.

"And do you, Lily Jemma, take James Fleamont to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," she said, her green eyes shining with love as she looked up at him.

"Then you may recite your vows."

Taking a deep breath, James began. "Lily. From the moment I first met you, I was enchanted. At first I saw only how beautiful you were – and don't get me wrong, I still think you're gorgeous – but now I can see just how much more there is to you.

You're the kindest person I know. You're smart, brave and funny, and confident and self-assured despite all the prejudices our world can hold. You always stand up for what you know is right, even if the cost is harsh. You love with all your heart, and give yourself fully to the people you love.

You're an amazing person, and you deserve to be happy for the rest of your days.

I wish I could promise you a long, happy life. I wish I could promise you a world free of judgment. I wish I could promise to keep you safe, no matter what.

Much as I might wish otherwise, I can't promise you any of those.

But I can promise you to stay by your side for the rest of my life. To love you even when we hate each other. To support and comfort you through anything and everything life can throw at us. To be your heart and home even when things get hard. To be there for you, no matter what, as the one person you can trust and love above all others.

I promise that I'll be right there with you, come what may. I promise to hold you when you're hurting and laugh with you when you're happy. I promise to walk beside you forever, despite everything and anything that might try to come between us.

I promise to be your husband, to love for the rest of our days."

Sirius stepped forward, holding out a pillow with two golden rings nestled on the red velvet. Smiling at her, James picked up the smaller of the two, and slid it gently onto Lily's finger, right beside her engagement ring.

Returning his smile, Lily squeezed his hand, before taking a breath of her own to say her vows.

"James. I love you. Nine years ago, I would have said that was entirely impossible, but today and for the rest of our lives together, it's all I could ever want.

When we first met, you were the most arrogant, annoying prat that I had ever known. I hated you for bullying my best friend, and I hated you for your constant showing off. But even then, I could see your good qualities – your kindness to people who were less than yourself, your fierce loyalty to your friends, your bravery in standing up for what you knew to be right.

I look at you now, and I see the man of my dreams. Not only have you outgrown your arrogance and bullying, but you have also increased your good qualities a thousandfold.

You're the reason I can wake up with a smile on my face in a world that hates me. You're the reason I could move on from my parents' deaths. You're everything to me, James. I would be lost without you.

That's why I'm here today. Not because I want to make a statement by marrying a pure-blood – because I love you with all my heart, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.

I promise that I'll be right there with you, come what may. I promise to hold you when you're hurting and laugh with you when you're happy. I promise to walk beside you forever, despite everything and anything that might try to come between us.

I promise to be your wife, to love for the rest of your days."

Fingers shaking slightly, she reached for the second ring. James couldn't contain his grin as the golden band slid onto his finger.

"In accordance with these vows, and in accordance with wizarding law, I now declare you bonded for life," Dumbledore announced. Raising his wand, he flicked it lightly, and a shower of silver stars poured from its tip, spiralling around them and shining with a soft, happy light.

Leaning forward, James kissed Lily, soft and slow and loving. The audience burst into applause as they broke apart, both blushing lightly and beaming fit to burst.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Dumbledore called. "If you would please stand up!"

With a little flick of his wand, the benches disappeared and the carpet unrolled itself to form a glittering silver dance floor.

Pulling Lily close to him again, James led her onto the dance floor, smiling as Spellbound's _Just As Long As You're With Me _began to play.

As they swayed to the rhythm, staring deep into each other's eyes, James reflected that Sirius had been completely right.

It really had been the best day of his life.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so happy right now – I was smiling like an idiot while writing this. Please, please tell me what you thought!**

**As an interesting side-note, I made Lily's middle name "Jemma" as a tribute to Agents of Shield – which I absolutely adore (that FitzSimmons wedding back in Season 5 still gets me teary-eyed.) **

**Thanks a million for reading! Hope you enjoyed my take on the Jily wedding **


	8. Day 8 - Frail

**A/N: sorry for the late update, guys – I had an extremely busy Tuesday, complete with unexpected revision test. But that's all behind me now, thankfully, and I've got some time to write again. Hopefully I'll be all caught up again by Friday.**

**Anyway, here's Day 8 for you guys.**

* * *

"And then she said yes! Best moment of my life. I love you, Lily." Turning, James flashed a fond smile at his wife – his _wife –_ fully expecting her to return it, green eyes sparkling happily.

But she wasn't there.

Frowning, he looked around the table, wondering where she could have gone. "Lily?"

"She went outside a few moments ago," Marlene supplied, looking away from Sirius for long enough to give James a sympathetic smile. "She seemed upset about something."

"Merlin, no," he said, getting up at once. "Sorry, Mum, Dad."

"We don't mind," his father said, patting his arm.

"It's only right that you should go after Lily," his mother assured him. "She shouldn't be upset about anything on her wedding day."

"Thanks," he said distractedly, already turning his mind to where Lily could have gone.

And more importantly, _why _she had gone.

As far as he could recall, no-one had said anything that should have upset Lily. In fact, since his parents had come to sit down next to them, the entire conversation had been about their engagement.

Then, in a flash of memory so vivid it almost hurt, it hit him.

_It had happened in the very beginning of their seventh year. Lily had been eating breakfast as usual with the Marauders – with whom she had struck up a tentative friendship since she and James became Heads – when Professor McGonagall approached their table, a sympathetic look on her face._

_"Miss Evans?" she had said, putting a gentle hand on Lily's arm._

_Lily had looked up, the laughter draining out of her eyes when she saw the expression on McGonagall's face. "Yes, professor?"_

_"Please come with me for a moment," she had said quietly. _

_James had watched, concerned, as McGonagall led Lily away, a supportive hand on her back._

_Lily didn't go to any classes that day._

_That evening, a very worried James had consulted the Marauders' Map, locating Lily's dot after a lengthy search at the top of the astronomy tower. _

_Without stopping to think about the consequences, he had run all the way up the stairs, finally finding her huddled in a little heap against the railing, sobbing softly._

_He had never seen her look so frail before._

_"Lily," he had said softly, reaching a hand towards her. _

_She had gasped, looking up at him with something like panic in her green eyes, before realising who he was and relaxing slightly. "James."_

_"Are you – what happened?" he had asked, feeling like a massive idiot._

_She had sighed, the sound coming out more like a stifled sob. "I – my parents –"_

_He had understood at once, and without a second thought, he had wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. "Oh, Lily."_

_Initially she had been tense and uncomfortable in his arms, but after a moment or two she had let out another shuddery sigh and relaxed into his embrace._

_Not knowing what to say or do, he had held her close as she sobbed, occasionally tucking a stray strand of red hair behind her ear and gently brushing away her tears._

_That had been the first time that Lily Evans fell asleep in his arms. He didn't know it at the time, but it would be far from the last. _

James cursed under his breath and rushed outside, not caring at all about the surprised looks he got from the guests.

"Lily?" he called into the darkness, relieved when she answered almost immediately.

He followed her voice to the swimming pool, dropping down next to her with a soft sigh.

"You should be inside, enjoying yourself," Lily chastised gently, trailing her fingers in the water and not meeting his eyes.

He tilted her face up to his, gently but firmly making her look at him. "So should you, Lily."

"I know," she admitted, placing her hand on his and tugging it gently off her face. "I just – I saw you with your parents, how happy you were, and I couldn't bear it anymore."

"They should have been here," he said quietly, lacing his fingers with hers instead of dropping her hand like she obviously wanted.

"Yes," she said quietly. "But I didn't want to drag you into my –"

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "We just got _married, _Lily. Your problems _are _my problems. That's what we promised, remember?"

"I know," she said again. "You just looked so happy, and I wanted you to stay like that."

"I'm not happy unless you're happy," he told her simply.

Instead of replying, she leaned into him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. Recognising that she needed silence, he laid his head on hers, knowing she would understand the silent message of support.

They stayed like that for what must have been almost an hour, not speaking, content just to be with each other.

At last, Lily lifted her head, turning to look at him with eyes that were – not happy, exactly, but not sad either. _Peaceful _was the word that best fitted the emotion he saw in their green depths.

"Thank you, James," she said sincerely.

He brushed a thumb across her cheek. "I'll do anything for you," he told her, quiet but sincere.

She smiled. "I really think we were made to be together."

"It means a lot to hear you say that," he told her with a small smile of his own.

"I'm glad," she said, cupping his face in her hands. "Because I really mean it."

"I really mean it, too," he said. "I love you, Lily Ev... Lily _Potter_. I always have, and I always will."

She kissed him then, soft and sweet and inviting.

He kissed her back, thinking that this was exactly the way the world should be.

* * *

**A/N: bittersweet Jily fluff! I'm always so sad when I realise how soon after the wedding they died... it's probably the saddest part of Harry Potter, for me.**

**Anyway, please do tell me what you thought of Day 8 - reviews really make my day!**

**UPDATE: thank you very much to Snitch Seeker, who pointed out that Lily is no longer Lily Evans but Lily Potter. I have fixed this now - hope you like it :)**


	9. Day 9 - Swing

**A/N: believe it or not, I haven't forgotten about this fic – I've just been super-busy for the last couple of days. Fortunately, the weekend is coming up, and I should have time for lots of writing then. **

**Day 9 – which was like three days ago, sorry – has the prompt "swing." I hope you all enjoy my take on that!**

* * *

"Oy, lovebirds!" Marlene's voice called up the stairs of Potter Manor. "Breakfast's ready, and if you don't hurry, Sirius will eat it all."

"I will _not," _Sirius's indignant voice floated up after his girlfriend's.

"No, you'd leave me some if you value your life," Marlene amended. "But there's no guarantee for the rest. Hear that, lovebirds?"

James nuzzled sleepily into Lily's side. "Think we should go down?"

She yawned, looking down at him with happy green eyes. "Probably."

"I don't really want to," he admitted, burying his nose in her strawberry-scented hair.

"What, not even for your mum's blueberry pancakes?" Lily teased.

James bolted upright. "You think she made blueberry pancakes?"

Lily laughed. "I'd hope so, seeing as I specially asked her to last night."

"You did?" he asked, staring at her in amazement. "You're a marvel, you are!"

"That's why you married me," Lily said, sighing happily as he gave her a quick kiss.

"Come on, let's go down," he said, pulling away and grabbing her hand. "We can't let Padfoot scarf all the blueberry pancakes!"

She laughed and let herself be towed downstairs, both of them beaming anew as they entered the kitchen.

"That looks amazing, Mum!" James said, spotting the huge stack of blueberry pancakes in the centre of the table and wrapping his mother in a spontaneous hug.

"As they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," Lily said, helping herself to a plate of pancakes.

"Truer words have never been spoken, dear," Euphemia Potter said, giving her daughter-in-law a fond glance.

James busily piled his plate with pancakes, smiling to himself at his wife and his mother's easy banter.

"Why don't you go outside and eat on the swings with Sirius and Marlene?" Euphemia suggested when James finally finished loading the pancakes.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," James said, balancing the plate of pancakes precariously on one hand and holding Lily's hand with the other.

"Aha, the lovebirds emerge," Marlene said, smirking at them from her position on the swing.

"We can be lovebirds all we want, now," James reminded her, grinning madly. "We're married!"

Sirius pretended to look shocked. "Wait, what? When did that happen?"

"Last night, you dolt," Lily said, playing along. "You'd remember if you weren't so busy snogging the skirt off Marlene."

Sirius smirked unashamedly. "I don't regret a moment of it, either."

Rolling their eyes, James and Lily settled themselves on the swings next to their friends. For a few minutes they sat there in contented silence, eating away at their pancakes.

Surprisingly, it was Lily who broke the silence, directing a teasing glance at Sirius and Marlene. "So, when are you two making it official?"

Sirius practically choked on his pancake, and Marlene nearly fell off her swing.

"Well, that says a lot," James said sagely, watching them splutter awkwardly as they tried to collect themselves again.

"Shut up, Prongs," Sirius muttered, face scarlet.

"Would it really be that bad?" Lily asked innocently.

James watched them both closely as they thought of a suitable reply.

"Maybe one day," Sirius said at last, with a sideways glance at Marlene.

She smiled. "I'd like that."

At Lily's triumphant look, she added hastily, "But not now. I don't want to become as soft and sappy as you two just yet, thank you!"

"There's nothing wrong with being soft and sappy," James argued, giving Lily a loving look, which she returned.

Sirius pretended to gag into his pancakes. "Cut it out, you two!"

Lily smirked at him. "You can't even stop us anymore, Black. You let us get married, remember?"

Sirius looked so horrified that they both had to laugh.

"What have I done?" Sirius whispered to Marlene, pretending to be disgusted (the effect was rather ruined by his huge grin, though.)

"Made us the happiest people in the world," James said, lacing his fingers with Lily's.

"I couldn't agree more," Lily said softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

**A/N: there we go – short and sweet Jily fluff, with hints of Blackinnon. Hope you all liked it! **


	10. Day 10 - Pattern

**A/N: for whatever reason, this prompt was driving me up the wall. Every time I opened Word to type something, I ended up staring at the blank page for ages and ages. It was terrible!**

**Then, _finally, _I got an idea, which is rather different to anything I've done before. Please do let me know if you like it!**

**At this point I'd like to give a huge shoutout to TheElvinDemigodDW2, who has reviewed every single chapter so far! Thank you so much for that! It really means a lot to me :)**

**Thanks as well to marteeey, ReadBooksWriteThings and CinderellaAtTheBall for your lovely words. There's nothing quite like a review for inspiration, and you guys are absolute stars at that!**

* * *

There had always been a pattern to the way James Potter and Lily Evans did things.

In their first year, it had gone like this:

_"Morning, Evans," from James._

_"Potter," rather coldly from Lily._

_"Let's get out of here, Lily," from Snape._

In their second year, it had changed little:

_"How are you today, Evans?" from James._

_"The same as yesterday, thank you, Potter," from an exasperated Lily. _

_"Come on, Lily, let's go to the library. I had an idea that would make the brewing process of the Forgetfulness Draught much faster," or something to that effect from Snape._

In their third year, it was still mostly unchanged:

_"Enjoying breakfast, Evans?" from James._

_"Yes, thank you, Potter. Not that it's any of your business," from an annoyed Lily._

_"Come on, Evans, don't be like that," from a pouting James. _

_"Is Potter bothering you?" from Snape. _

_"Yes. Want to go to the library?" from an even more annoyed Lily. _

_"No, Evans, wait –" from a dismayed James. _

_"Goodbye, Potter," from Lily and Snape simultaneously, Lily acerbically and Snape smugly. _

In their fourth year, they could barely tolerate each other:

_"Evans," from James. _

_"Potter," from a barely-polite Lily. _

_"Still haven't given up on old Snivelly, have you?" from a mocking James. _

_"You shut up about Severus, you bloody great prat," from an incensed Lily. _

_"Just you try and make me," from a smirking James._

_"Silencio!" or another hex to that effect from Lily._

_"Flipendo!" or something along those lines from James._

_"Impedimenta!" _

_"Locomotor Mortis!"_

_"Petrificus Totalus!"_

_"Evans. Potter. Break it up," from whatever prefect unfortunate enough to catch them. _

In their fifth year, Lily's feelings hadn't changed one bit, but James's had:

_"All right, Evans?" from James, already ruffling his hair. _

_"Get lost, Potter," from Lily, not even bothering to look up from her book._

_"I will if you'll go out with me," from a hopeful James. _

_"In your dreams, Potter," from an uniterested Lily. _

_"It has been, actually," from a completely unashamed James._

_"Pervert," from a disgusted Lily._

_"I can't help it! You're just so bloody gorgeous," from a still-not-discouraged James._

_"Don't you know the meaning of the words 'get' and 'lost,' Potter?" from an exasperated Lily, finally looking up from her book._

_"No, not actually," from a grinning James. "Care to go out with me and explain?"_

_"For the millionth time, no, I would not, Potter," from an annoyed Lily, picking up her book again._

_"Aw, you don't mean that," from a self-assured James._

_"Actually, I do. And if you don't make yourself scarce very soon, you'll find out just how much I mean it," from Lily, reaching into her robes for her wand._

_"You can't hex me, you're a prefect," from an infuriatingly smug James._

_"Oy, Prongs, could you come over here for a moment?" hastily from Remus when seeing the look on Lily's face. "Oh, hi, Lily!"_

_"Thanks, Remus," from Lily as Remus towed James away._

_"You'll say yes one of these days, I know it," determinedly from James, despite being towed away by Remus._

_"Not. Going. To. Happen," particularly slowly and articulately from Lily._

Then there was the fight at the lake. After that, things changed drastically:

_"Look, Evans –" from an awkward James._

_"Just leave it, okay, Potter?" from an exhausted Lily._

_"But, Evans –"_

_"I don't blame you, Potter, but that doesn't mean I want to speak to you," from Lily, turning and walking away, leaving James staring helplessly after her._

In their sixth year, things had changed again:

_"Hey, Evans!" from a cheerful James._

_"Morning, Potter," from Lily._

_"Did you see Brianna Jorkins's jumper? Revolting, wasn't it?" from an excited James, gesturing with his hands to show just how bad the jumper was._

_"It was pretty bad," from an amused Lily, ducking to avoid his flailing arms. _

_"Are they friends now?" from a confused fourth-year._

_"No-one's really sure," from her friend. "But they're not fighting all the time anymore."_

_"Huh," from the first girl. "Reckon he still fancies her?"_

_"If he does, he's handling it a lot better, now," from her friend, studying James as he leans in to tell Lily a joke of some sort._

_"That's certainly true," from the first one, smiling herself as Lily laughs with genuine delight._

In their seventh year, despite all the odds, they officially began dating:

_"Morning, Lily," from James, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek._

_"Morning, James," from Lily, smiling despite herself._

_"We're still on for Saturday, right?" from a slightly anxious James._

_"I wouldn't miss it for the world," affectionatly from Lily._

_"Stop with the lovey-dovey nonsense," from Sirius or Marlene (or both, on one memorable occasion.)_

_"You know you love us really," from James, sticking out his tongue._

_Lily doesn't speak, just rests her head on his shoulder contentedly and watches as her friends banter, perfectly contented with the world._

And it stayed that way, even when they joined the Order:

_"How'd the mission go, Lily?" from a worried James._

_"Fine, James, now stop fussing," from an exasperated Lily._

_"I can't help worrying about you," from James, giving her the puppy eyes._

_"That's adorable," from Lily, relenting and hugging him tightly. _

_"Really, you two?" from whichever Order member walked in on them snogging. _

_"You're only pretending to be mad," from James, kissing Lily on the cheek._

_"In reality, you love how perfect we are together," from Lily, smiling happily up at him._

_No arguments from the Order member – because their words are true. It does them all good to see this little bit of pure happiness in times like these._

* * *

**A/N: so, what did you think? I'm very unsure about it, myself - it's only thanks to my wonderful sister, avatar amy, that I'm even posting this in the first place. ****I probably won't be doing anything like this again, though.**

**As for the days - today's Day 14, and I've only just posted Chapter 10. All I can say is that I _hope _to catch up sometime, but as for when that could be... well, your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully it's soon! **


	11. Day 11 - Snow

**A/N: first of all, thank you so much for all the positive reviews for the previous chapter! I was smiling all morning after reading them.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter for you guys – this one is back in my normal style, as well as back in the present(ish) tense. Hope you all like it!**

* * *

James was woken up from his Sunday afternoon nap by Lily's soft voice talking to the puppy.

"Look, Skye," she was saying. "Snow!"

James propped his head on one elbow, smiling affectionately as he watched his wife. Her red hair was pinned up in a messy bun, with several strands coming loose and framing her face perfectly as she cooed to the puppy in her arms.

"Snow, Skye!" she said again, pointing outside. "Isn't it beautiful?"

The puppy looked rather unconvinced.

"Come on, Skye," she encouraged with a soft laugh, absent-mindedly tucking one red curl behind her ear. "You'll like it once you're outside, I promise!"

"Listen to mummy, little guy," James said, coming up behind Lily and kissing her temple. "She's right about almost everything."

Lily hummed contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, tucking her chin under his. "Took you long enough to realise that," she said playfully.

"But I did," he reminded her, and she smiled fondly.

"You did," she agreed. Turning to Skye, she said mock-sternly, "That's something you should realise too, mister!"

The puppy just wagged his tail, his blue eyes sparkling happily.

Lily rolled her eyes, a grin quirking her lips. "Come on, you silly thing. Snow is a wonderful thing. Isn't that right, James?"

"It is," James agreed, nodding solemnly. "But I know why you're afraid, little guy. I was, too, the first time I encountered snow."

The puppy tipped his head to one side, eyeing James curiously.

Feeling mildly ridiculous talking to a dog, James cleared his throat awkwardly.

Lily elbowed him. "No, come on. I need to hear this story now."

"All right," he relented. "It happened like this. The first time we had snow – well, the first time that I can remember, at any rate – I woke up with my nose freezing because I had forgotten the window open. I woke the whole house with my screaming.

"My mum and dad came charging upstairs, probably expecting a horde of Death Eaters or at least a very large spider, but there I was, a little four-year-old, shivering and sobbing because of the snow on my nose."

"You poor thing," said Lily, trying and failing to hide her grin.

"Shut up," he grumbled. "It was scary, okay? I was _four."_

Skye whined sympathetically.

"See?" James appealed. "The dog understands."

Lily raised her hands in surrender, laughing. "All right, all right. Go on with the story, please."

"There's not much left to tell," he admitted with a wry smile. "I refused to go outside all winter, but then one day my mum had had enough and hauled me out. At first I shouted my lungs out, but then I realised how _fun _it was to build snowmen and have snowball fights with Marly."

"That's adorable," said Lily, sighing. "I can just picture a tiny James and a mini Marlene having the world's best snowfights."

"We did," James said with a fond grin. "Still do, in fact."

"That's certainly true," Lily winced, rubbing the back of her neck where she had been hit by a snowball from their epic battle with Sirius and Marlene yesterday.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Hmm?" She lifted an eyebrow, clearly not following.

"I meant your first time with snow. How was it?"

She smiled. "Nothing near as dramatic as yours, I'm afraid."

"Well, I still want to hear it," he said resolutely. Skye gave a little whine, which James took as agreement.

"Now you've got to tell us," he implored, turning pleading eyes on her. Coupled with Skye's adorable tail-wagging, they had her.

"Well, I remember myself as a very little girl – I couldn't tell you how old, but it was probably just before I turned four – sitting by my window at Christmas, wishing more than anything that I could see some of this snow Tuney had told me about.

"Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that was the first time I did accidental magic. I remember concentrating very hard on the idea of snow, and the next minute it really did begin to snow.

"Well, I rushed outside, and it was every bit as wonderful as I had imagined. Ever since I've loved winter more than any other season – because of the snow."

"That's lovely," James said, nuzzling her neck affectionately.

She sighed happily. "You're lovely."

"And so are you," he told her.

Skye whined, and both James and Lily laughed. "You're lovely too," Lily assured him.

"No, you're not," James argued, giving the puppy a reproachful look. "You still won't go into the snow."

Skye gave him a doubtful look.

"Come on, little guy," he encouraged gently. "Huskies like you are made for the snow. You'll love it, I know it."

"James is right," Lily added. "Just try it, Skye."

The puppy gave a little sigh and wriggled in Lily's arms, apparently finally deciding to do it.

Smiling, Lily put him on the floor, opening the door for him.

Cautiously at first, but growing in speed and exuberance once he realised that the snow wasn't hurting him, Skye padded into the garden.

He sneezed as a snowflake landed on his nose, looking back at James and Lily in adorable confusion.

"It's okay, Skye," Lily said, giving him a supportive smile.

"Go for it, buddy," James added, smiling as Skye began scampering around, chasing the snowflakes.

"I knew he'd like it," said Lily, watching the puppy fondly.

"You're brilliant," he replied honestly.

She smiled, leaning in to kiss him gently. "Why, thank you."

They stood on the porch, wrapped in each other's arms, snowflakes settling like a kind of shield on their entwined figures.

"I love you," Lily murmured against his lips.

"I love you too," he said, brushing a snowflake from her bright red hair and smiling with perfect happiness.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this fluffy little piece makes you all smile – sadly, it's going to be the last bit of fluff for a while. The next couple of chapters will all be about Order missions and flashbacks – which are great things, but not fluff, much as I might wish otherwise.**

**Anyway, thanks a million for reading! If you liked it, please do leave me a review. **


	12. Day 12 - Dragon

**A/N: hi guys! I've just joined the Golden Snitch Forum (which is a really cool place – do go look at it) and I've entered the Magic Minds, Mushrooms and Maths event there. **

**This chapter is jointly written for the Inktober Challenge (today's prompt is Dragon) and the Potions Inventor part of the MMMM event. I've also used an additional prompt from MMMM - the dialogue "Are you sure you're feeling alright, mate? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Brownie points if you can spot where I used this :)**

**My School/House on the Golden Snitch: Hogwarts/Ravenclaw (I'm very proud)**

**Triggering content: no**

**Word count: 2162**

**Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

"Miss Evans – ahem, Mrs Potter," Dumbledore began, steepling his fingers and looking across the table at Lily. James couldn't hide his grin at the words _Mrs Potter._

"Yes, sir?" she asked, squeezing James's fingers lightly.

"For the upcoming mission, I will need you to prepare a Dragonsong Draught."

Lily's brow creased. "A… a _what, _sir?"

"A Dragonsong Draught," Dumbledore repeated. "It's a very rare and very special potion invented by my good friend Nicolas Flamel."

James could see that Lily was still confused, but she nodded anyway. "Very well, sir. Where do I find the instructions?"

Dumbledore winced. "That, Mrs Potter, is why we need _you _to make this potion. The instructions are at best incomplete."

"At best?" James asked, giving Lily a concerned sideways look. "What does that mean?"

"Nicolas Flamel was not a man who shared his secrets lightly," Dumbledore explained. "The instructions for the potion are written in a particularly complex code."

Lily's eyebrows shot up almost into her hairline. "I see."

"Well, I _don't," _James snapped. "How is Lily supposed to brew a potion she doesn't have the instructions for?"

"Mr Potter, you concern is understandable –" Dumbledore began.

"I'll be fine, James, quit worrying," Lily cut him off.

"But –"

_"__No," _she said firmly.

He sighed. "Fine. But at least let me stay with you?"

Lily turned to Dumbledore, who nodded. "That's perfectly acceptable. Perhaps Mr Potter will also be of some help with the code – I hear he is quite a master at magical maps."

James simultaneously flushed and grinned. Lily poked his stomach with one elbow, but he could see the smile in her eyes.

"That's certainly true," she said, managing to keep her face straight.

"So it's a map?" James asked. "I thought we were dealing with a code."

"Oh, we are," Dumbledore assured them. "But the code is hidden in Nicolas's dragon map."

"Sounds fun," said James, already relishing the challenge.

* * *

But two hours in, they still hadn't even come close to solving the map.

"I just don't _understand," _he complained, for what must have been the hundredth time. "How can this possibly be instructions for a _potion?"_

"If we knew, we'd be halfway to cracking it," Lily said reasonably.

James scowled and reached for the map again. It remained unchanged – a battered piece of parchment marked with tiny little trees and a river. On the right bank of the river was a large _x._

"This could bloody be anywhere," he groaned, hitting his head on the table.

Lily started to nod in agreement, then froze mid-movement. "James!"

"What?" he asked, sitting back and glaring at the map.

And then he saw it. Right under the _x, _written in a narrow, looping hand, appeared four lines of what looked like poetry.

"What does it say?" he asked.

Lily leaned over his shoulder. "That's so strange!" she said, frowning.

"Liiiiiily," he whined. "What does it _say?"_

"Oh, sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "It says:

_Antimony and asphodel, together in moondew_

_With howlet's wing and nightshade for a score of minutes brew_

_Add the mushroom from the scarce-found pantherlily tree,_

_Then dragonsong will call the firebeast straight to you and me."_

"Well, that's pretty detailed," he said, looking up and smiling at Lily. "Think you can brew it?"

"I… the first bit shouldn't be too hard, no. Antimony and asphodel – those are pretty standard potion ingredients. Howlet's wing and nightshade shouldn't be too hard to find, either, and I know for a fact that Professor Slughorn keeps a supply of moondew. But…"

"The mushroom?" he guessed.

Lily nodded. "I've never heard of a pantherlily tree, let alone of a mushroom that grows on it."

"Neither have I. You're sure it says _pantherlily?"_

He leaned over her to look at the map, but as quickly as they had appeared, the lines of writing had vanished again.

"Oh, come on," James said, exasperated.

"How did you get them to show up in the first place?" asked Lily, hands on her hips. "What spell did you use?"

"That's just the thing," he said, frowning. "I didn't use any spells."

"Then what…? Oh, of _course!"_

At James's blank look, she explained, "The lines of writing appeared when you hit your head on the parchment, didn't they?"

"No way," he breathed. "Why would Flamel possibly hide them like _that?"_

Lily's lips twitched. "Maybe because he knew no wizard would guess it?"

James had to give it to her – she had a point. "Still seems a little ridiculous that all we have to do is hit it," he grumbled.

_"__I _think it's rather brilliant," Lily said defensively. "Look!" Clenching her fist, she gave the map a solid thump, right above the _x._

At once, the potion instructions appeared. Lily grinned.

"Fine, that's pretty clever," James conceded.

"Now we just need to figure out where to find this pantherlily tree," Lily said pragmatically.

"Well, that's obvious, isn't it?" James asked.

It was Lily's turn to look blank.

"The _x," _he explained. "That can't possibly be a coincidence."

"So if we can figure out where the _x _is –"

"We can brew the potion!"

They grinned at each other, caught up in the excitement of the moment, until they remembered they still had no idea what the map was supposed to represent.

"Well, that puts us back to square one," James said glumly.

"Not quite," Lily corrected. "I can begin brewing the potion so long."

* * *

An hour later, James was still poring over the map, but Lily was stirring industriously away at her small cauldron.

"The instructions never said anything about stirring," she confessed, "but my gut instinct is that it should be stirred at least a little."

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say," James said, too tired and frustrated to think of a better reply.

Lily just rolled her eyes and continued stirring her potion, humming softly to herself.

"Oh!" she said, stepping back in surprise.

James jumped up, glad of something to do, and peered cautiously into the cauldron. The potion had turned a deep, inky black, but bizarrely enough was giving off clear white smoke.

"Well, that's… strange," James said, taking a step back as well and clutching the map to his chest.

The smoke drifted lazily off the cauldron, arching towards them. Lily took a step back, pulling James along with her, but he stood firm, staring at the map in his hands with astonishment.

There, in the middle of the river, just below the _x, _the words "Flamel's Ford, Heartwood Forest" had appeared, seemingly lit up by the white smoke from Lily's potion.

"Lily, you genius!" he said, wrapping his arms around her in a warm hug.

"You're a genius too," she said, laughing as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Shall we go?" he asked, offering her his arm with an exaggerated bow.

She laughed, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers. "We shall."

* * *

Flamel's Ford was just the way he remembered it – small and green and entirely unremarkable, except for the large statue of Nicolas Flamel at the right end.

"When did you come here before?" Lily asked, swinging their joint hands and gazing up at the statue with admiration.

"My parents brought me once when I was little," he explained. "Said it was a good historical experience. But all I wanted to do was climb onto Flamel's head."

Lily grinned. "I can just picture that."

"Want to give it a go now?" he asked playfully, pretending to make a run for the statue.

"Let's do it after we've found the mushrooms," Lily suggested.

"Great idea," he said, tugging on her hand to pull her into the woods.

"Where are you going?" she asked, laughingly following.

"I think I remember a massive tree covered in mushrooms just around this bend," he told her, half-running as he tried to remember the exact spot.

"Well, I don't – _wow." _Lily stopped, speechless, as they rounded the corner.

James had remembered right. It _was _a massive tree, and it _was _covered in bright orange mushrooms.

"Think these are what we want?" he asked, giving the tree an awed look. It really was massive.

"Only one way to find out!" Lily said cheerfully, drawing her wand. James smiled. He loved seeing her like this – happy and excited to be doing something she was fantastic at.

"Oh, my," Lily said, distracting him from his affectionate thoughts.

"What?" he asked, reaching protectively for his wand.

"Look," Lily breathed, turning to him with a radiant smile.

Reluctantly he wrenched his eyes off her and turned to the potion, smiling when he saw it had changed colour to a vibrant orange.

"That's how Dumbledore said it should look," she said happily.

"Well done," he said, pulling her in for a quick kiss. She laughed softly against his lips, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her, delighted to see her so happy.

"Come on, let's go show Dumbledore," Lily said, breaking the kiss and picking up her potion, practically glowing with contentment.

"Good idea," he agreed, reaching for her hand and turning on the spot.

* * *

James was surprised to find the Order headquarters almost completely empty when they returned.

"That's not good," he said, tightening his grip on the wand in his pocket. He felt Lily tense up beside him, and squeezed her fingers reassuringly.

They walked into the main hall, worry growing when they found it empty, too.

"I don't –" James began, but Lily gasped. "Peter!"

James spun around, expecting the worst, but drew in a deep, relieved breath when he saw his friend alive and well.

Alive and well, but distinctly terrified-looking.

"Are you feeling alright, mate? You look like you've seen a ghost!" he said, only half-joking.

Peter made a funny squeaking sound and pointed to their left.

"What is it, Wormtail?" James asked, turning to follow his finger.

His mouth dropped open.

There, silhouetted in the setting sun, was one of the biggest dragons James had ever seen.

And it was heading straight for them.

"Merlin!" he yelped. "Let's get out of here, Lily!"

But she hesitated. "No, James… I think this is supposed to happen."

He gave her a look. "Are you crazy?"

"Are you?" she countered. "Or have you forgotten what potion I made? _Dragonsong Draught, _James. _Dragon song."_

The penny dropped for James. "Merlin, I'm an idiot sometimes. That line from the poem should have made it obvious – _then dragonsong will call the firebeast straight to you and me."_

"Well, it certainly did," Lily said, watching the approaching dragon with fascination.

"I don't hear any singing, though," James said, frowning at the potion.

"That's because it's _dragon_song, not _James_song," Lily said, lips twitching. "Merlin, James, today is _not _your day, is it?"

"Hey, we wouldn't have solved the map if it wasn't for me," he countered.

"True, true." She raised her hands in surrender.

Peter broke in, looking more nervous than ever. "Oh, er, Lily, you can leave the potion in the hall and come with me. We've set up wards and everything to keep the dragon in."

"Why didn't you say so immediately?" James asked, shaking his head.

"I… it was a _dragon, _okay?" Peter said, looking at his feet.

"It's okay. We don't mind," Lily said gently, squeezing James's hand.

"Thanks," Peter said, shuffling his feet in embarrassment.

James shook his head, but gave his friend a fond smile nonetheless. Peter returned it shyly, and sighed in relief when Lily said, "Right, then, let's go."

They both held on to Peter's arms, and he Apparated them safely to their cottage, before taking himself to his mother's cottage.

"Well, that was an eventful day," Lily said, sighing contentedly as she dropped onto her favourite couch.

James joined her, resting his head on her stomach and letting out a satisfied sigh of his own. "First day back on the job. Dumbledore couldn't possibly give us something tame, could he?"

"No," Lily said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "But I wouldn't want it any other way."

He grinned crookedly up at her. "Neither would I."

* * *

**A/N: hope you guys liked this chapter! Sorry about the late posting, but our power went off for the whole day yesterday, and I lost most of my work. Ugh. But at least I've got it back, now.**

**Like I said in the previous chapter, the fluff has not disappeared forever, it has merely gone on holiday. You can expect it back by about Chapter 15, if things go to plan.**

**Thanks a million for reading, guys! Reviews are fantastic, if you're feeling nice - I'd love to hear what you all thought about this chapter. It was pretty different to the rest of the story, I know, but I rather enjoyed it. **

**Cheers!**


	13. Day 13 - Ash

**A/N: right, so here's the follow-up to last chapter's Dragon mission. I'm assuming that you all – like me – are pretty curious by this point as to why on earth Dumbledore wants a dragon, of all things. Well, dear readers, this chapter has your answer.**

* * *

It must have been well past midnight when the Patronus came. "James! Lily!" it said, speaking urgently in McGonagall's voice. "We need your help at Headquarters, immediately."

Both James and Lily sat up at once, startled, but gathered their wits quickly.

"We'll be there in five minutes," Lily said, conjuring her doe Patronus and sending it off with a flick of her wand.

Meanwhile, James rushed to the cupboard, pulling out two sets of black mission robes. He tossed one over to Lily, tugging the other one over his head as quickly as he could.

As Lily had promised, they arrived at Headquarters exactly five minutes later.

At first glance, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. The building looked intact, and there were no signs of fighting. There was even a bit of light snow drifting down from the sky.

"It's too quiet," Lily said uneasily, looking around worriedly, her body tense beside his.

A snowflake drifted down to rest on James's shoe, and he frowned, hit by an awful realisation.

"It shouldn't be snowing," he said, reaching for his wand.

Lily frowned. "What do you… oh, _no_. The wards!"

James waved his wand, chanting under his breath, and soon the wards flickered into existence around them, glowing with magical light.

"Nothing seems to be wrong," he said, inspecting the walls of magic with a growing frown.

"Then why aren't they keeping out the snow?" Lily asked, confused and worried.

"That's because it's not snow," James said with grim realisation, holding out his hand for him to see the flake that had landed there.

"That looks almost like ash," Lily said, then gasped, hand flying to her mouth. "Merlin, James! The dragon!"

His eyes widened. "Shit!"

Side by side, they rushed into the building, wands held ready in front of them.

The place was, as Lily had said, too quiet. Even on a relatively calm day, there should have been at least two Order members in the hall.

But there was nobody.

What there _was, _though, was far more alarming.

The entire left side of the hall was blackened with scorch marks, and one part of the roof had been torn away entirely.

James cursed again, softer this time.

Ever the pragmatist, Lily began to repair the roof, murmuring spells in quick succession until the building was whole again.

She was half-way through mending the blackened wall when all hell broke loose.

It started with screaming – high and terrified and _pained._

Then came a terrible roar, followed by an awful crackling sound that could only be dragon-fire.

James and Lily didn't need to speak. Exchanging a quick glance, they took off sprinting towards the sound.

Emmeline Vance was pinned beneath the claws of a massive red dragon, her wand up and holding a desperate shield against the wall of flames the creature was blasting at her.

"Emmeline!" Lily cried, shouting a furious _"Stupefy!" _at the dragon.

The spell bounced off its chest without any visible effect.

Cursing, Lily tried again, shouting spell after spell with increasing desperation.

James pointed his wand at Emmeline, incanting _"Entomorphis!" _just as the brunette's shield failed.

The dragon stopped its fire-blasting in confusion as its victim disappeared before its eyes, tilting its head to one side in an almost dog-like gesture of confusion.

James scanned the ground, finally locating a tiny green beetle skittering towards him and Lily. Smiling with relief, he spoke the untransfiguration, breathing out a sigh of relief as Emmeline reappeared, panting and soot-stained but mostly unharmed.

Lily threw up a Shield Charm between them and the dragon, which had resumed its fire-blasting.

"What happened?" James gasped to Emmeline, adding a shield of his own to Lily's.

"The dragons escaped," she said, doubling over and clutching her side and breathing raggedly.

"How?" Lily asked, cursing as her shield flickered and died under the relentless wall of flames.

"We're not sure," Emmeline said, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths. "One minute they were all safely in the hall, and the next –"

"Wait, wait, wait," James cut her off. "Did you say _they?"_

Emmeline gave a quick half-smile. "Yeah. We had four by the time it happened."

"How?" he asked incredulously.

"Lily's Dragonsong Draught did its work even better than we expected," Emmeline explained. "Dumbledore only needed three dragons, but he was pleased enough when the fourth one showed up."

_"Four dragons?" _James repeated in astonishment. "When did this happen?"

"Between when the two of you left and about eleven p.m. yesterday." Face set, Emmeline added her shield to James and Lily's.

"When did they escape?" Lily asked, sending a particularly powerful Knockback Jinx at the dragon. It stumbled a little, but didn't give up.

"Midnight," Emmeline said. "Or so we think. Peter was on watch. He said everything had been perfectly peaceful, when suddenly he heard the roof crash down and saw the dragons escape."

"What did he do?" James asked, nimbly dodging a bolt of flame that had slipped past their shields.

"Peter? Nothing. He went into shock immediately, poor sap. Luckily Marlene and Sirius were there, too, and they sent for McGonagall."

"Have any of the dragons been rounded up?" James asked, half-dreading the answer.

"Not that I know of," Emmeline said, confirming his worst fears.

"Why do we need the dragons in the first place?" Lily asked, yelping as the dragon gave up on its fiery attack and physically charged them.

Emmeline grabbed her hand, Apparating them several yards backwards. James followed suit, hastily throwing up a Barrier charm.

The dragon roared with frustration as it hit the charm and was unable to move on. Struck by a sudden idea, James erected Barrier charms on either side of it as well, and completed the cage by putting one up behind the beast.

Lily caught on to what he was doing, and quickly conjured a magical net to rest on top of the barriers.

"Well done," McGonagall's voice said approvingly from behind them, and James turned to smile wearily at her.

"Have the other dragons –" Emmeline began, but McGonagall nodded.

"Yes, Miss Vance. All the other dragons have been subdued as well."

They all drew in relieved breaths.

"Now, if you would all please come into the main hall, Professor Dumbledore has something he would like to say to you all."

They followed her to the door, having to pick their way through a thin layer of ash.

The rest of the Order was gathered in the hall, all in various states of smoky disarray.

"Firstly, I am very pleased to report that there are no serious injuries," Dumbledore began once everyone was present. There was a whooshing sound as everybody in the room exhaled with relief.

"Secondly, I congratulate you all for your excellent response to the situation," Dumbledore continued. "Thirdly, for those of you who were unaware, what occurred was the following: Mrs Potter brewed a Dragonsong Draught for us yesterday, which lured four dragons. However, some time last night, these dragons escaped their holding area. How this happened we are as yet unsure, but the wards have been replaced and strengthened."

"Fourthly, I am sure you are all wondering why we need these dragons. I'm afraid the answer is too complex to explain in the time we have, but to put it simply, my friend Nicolas Flamel and I think that a solution to Lord Voldemort's ever-rising power might be found using the twelfth capability of dragon's blood. We wished to gather three dragons for experimental purposes, but Mrs Potter's potion-brewing skills surprised us and we lured four instead.

"However, I have since come to the conclusion that holding these dragons is far too dangerous, both to the Order members and to its secrecy. That is why we will be Apparating the dragons to the wilds of Romania first thing tomorrow morning."

He paused to smile kindly around at the gathered Order. "For now, I suggest that you all get some sleep. It will be a busy day tomorrow."

James squeezed Lily's hand, and she leaned into his shoulder. "Never a moment of rest, eh?" he murmured into her hair.

He could hear the smile in her voice as she replied, "Constant vigilance."

* * *

**A/N: I'm not entirely happy with the way this one turned out, but here we are. Please do tell me what you guys thought!**


	14. Day 14 - Overgrown

**A/N: I had terrible writer's block with this chapter – I just couldn't for the life of me think of a scenario to fit the prompt _overgrown._ Eventually, after scrolling through the events and challenges on the Golden Snitch forum, I came across the Golden Snitch Third Year Anniversary prompt list. Finally, inspiration! I used the following prompts:**

**2\. Write about enemies becoming friends**

**_Additional: _****"Please, don't leave! He's no good for you!" **

**My school and house on the Golden Snitch: Hogwarts, and Ravenclaw**

**Word Count: 1323**

* * *

James stood on his tiptoes, trying in vain to spot that elusive flash of bright red hair.

"Looking for someone?" Sirius's voice called from somewhere behind him.

James spun around, a grin forming on his face. "Padfoot!"

"Great to see you, Prongs," Sirius said with unusual warmth, clapping James on the shoulder.

James snorted and pulled his best friend into a hug. Sirius tensed, wincing a little, and James drew back, surprised. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, really," Sirius said carelessly, his air of complete unconcern so convincing that it would have fooled anyone else.

"Bollocks," James said roundly. "You're hurt, aren't you?"

Sirius sighed, his expression a mixture of frustration and affection. "It happened again, okay?"

"No, it's not _okay," _James said firmly. "Nothing – _nothing – _gives them the right to act like that."

Sirius's smile was bitter. "They've never cared about rights."

"I know," James said heavily. "How bad was it this time?"

Sirius sighed. "Do you have to know?"

"Of course I do," James said sincerely. "Do you really think I'm just going to stand by and do nothing when my best friend's hurting?"

Sirius smiled, a genuine one this time. "You're a pretty great person, anyone ever tell you that?"

James matched his grin. "Once or twice. But you're not getting out of this – what happened?"

Sirius ran a hand through his long black hair, expression bitter. "Mordred Mulciber came for a visit – he's an old chum of my dad's. They tried to get me to join their little Death-Eaters-in-training group. I refused, of course, and then Mulciber got mad. Used an Unforgivable on me."

_"No," _James breathed.

"Yes," Sirius said grimly.

"Which one?" James asked, feeling a curious mix of dread and anger.

"Crucio," Sirius said, not meeting James's eyes.

"That _bastard," _James said, voice so furious that Sirius half-flinched away.

"When I could stand again, I walked out," Sirius said, taking a deep breath. "I've been homeless for the last couple of weeks."

_"Padfoot," _James said, angry for a whole different reason now.

Sirius turned to him, eyebrows arched.

"Why didn't you come to us?" he asked, letting the anger trickle into his voice. "We would have taken you in immediately!"

"You mean that?" Sirius asked, voice catching a little as he regarded James with inscrutable grey eyes.

"Of course I bloody mean it!" James exclaimed. "I'd do anything for a friend, you know that."

"But –"

_"Anything, _Sirius."

The corners of Sirius's mouth lifted in a faint grin. "I might just take you up on that."

"You bloody better," James said, blinking hard all of a sudden.

Sirius opened his mouth to say something else, eyes sparkling smugly for the first time since their conversation had started, but froze midway, mouth half-open. "Evans," he said in a curt voice.

James spun around, hand flying to his hair. Lily Evans ducked out from behind a pillar, face flaming.

"How long have you been there?" Sirius asked, voice hard with anger.

Lily looked extremely uncomfortable, ducking her head to study her shoes and refusing to meet their eyes.

"Evans?" James repeated.

"Long enough," she said, looking up with guilty green eyes. "I just… I was thinking about… well, it doesn't matter, but I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, okay? I heard James say something like _do you really think I'm just going to stand by and do nothing when my best friend's hurting, _and then –"

"That was a private conversation, Evans," Sirius snapped. "You had no right to –"

"I_ know," _Lily said, green eyes flashing. "But I couldn't very well show myself a sentence like _that, _could I?"

Sirius did not reply, directing his glare at the floor.

"That was really decent of you, Potter," Lily said directly, turning to James.

James flushed. "I… anyone would have done the same, really."

"No, they wouldn't," Lily said, a slow smile forming on her face. To his absolute surprise, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

He patted her back awkwardly, completely dumbfounded as to what might have caused this sudden change in attitude. Sirius smirked at him, and James sent him a rude hand gesture, resting his head on Lily's red one.

"You've changed, Potter," Lily said, taking a step back and studying him critically.

His hand went to his hair again, but stopped half-way, settling for tugging awkwardly at his robes. "Is that a good thing?" he asked.

Lily's smile returned, and he found himself grinning back at her, giddy with happiness. "Definitely," she said, giving him a quick nod, green eyes sparkling playfully.

Turning to Sirius, she said, "Oh, and Black? If your parents ever do anything like that again, come to me. I've been reading up on magical law procedures, and I'm pretty sure I could get them into serious trouble."

Sirius regarded her with surprise. "Will do, Evans," he said, not quite succeeding in keeping the surprise out of his tone.

Lily grinned at him. "I'll be checking up on you, Black."

James ventured a grin of his own. "Does that mean we're friends now?"

Lily tilted her head to one side, looking him up and down with curious eyes. "Yes," she said at length. "Yes, I think it does."

James gaped at her, completely speechless, and she grinned. "Close your mouth, Potter, you look like an overgrown goldfish."

Sirius barked a laugh, then hastily tried to disguise it as a cough. Lily gave him a cheeky salute, then turned and walked towards the train, red hair fluttering behind her.

"She's all right, Evans is," Sirius commented, coming to stand next to James.

James smiled. "Yeah," he said softly. "She really is."

* * *

Lily walked away from the two boys, not quite believing what had just happened. Who knew Potter could be so… _decent? _

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see Snape until it was far too late. With a crash that sent her books flying in all directions, she slammed straight into his bony chest.

"Severus," she said, voice chilly.

"Lily," he said, looking her up and down with his black eyes.

She bent to pick up her books, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "What do you want?"

"You're making a mistake," he said, looking around furtively before crouching and helping her with her books.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "I need these books for school, you know."

"Not with the books," he said impatiently. "With… _Potter." _He spat the name with enough venom to knock out a raging Hippogriff.

Lily shoved the last of her books into her satchel, folding her arms. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I saw you hug him," Severus said, voice full of disbelief and anger, but most prominently, _hurt._

"So?" Lily said, clenching her fingers on her robes. "We're friends." For whatever reason, the words brought a smile to her face.

Severus's face showed absolute shock, then blazing horror. _"Lily!"_

"I can be friends with whoever I like," she said defensively. "And I choose Potter."

"But he's –"

_"Changed,"_ Lily said firmly. "He's changed. He's not the same person anymore."

"So you're willing to forget everything he did to you? To _me?"_

"You seem perfectly happy to forget everything _you've _done to _me," _Lily countered.

"But we're friends. Or we were, anyway," he said, folding his arms sullenly.

"Exactly," Lily said, standing up. "He's my friend."

Snape caught her arm, pulling her back to face him with desperation evident in his black eyes. "Please, don't leave! He's no good for you!"

Lily ripped her arm from his grasp, scowling. "You don't know that."

"I do!" he protested. "I've known him for six years. He's a git, Lily!"

"The only git around here is you," she said coldly, turning away.

"Please, Lily," he begged, but she ignored him. She had made her choice, and she knew with an unwavering certainty that it was the right one.

* * *

**A/N: there we are! Please do let me know what you guys thought :)**


	15. Day 15 - Legend

**A/N: this chapter was really fun to write. To set the scene: picture the Order, all slightly drunk, in a tiny pub in Romania, exhausted after a day of dragon-wrangling. And what do they do to pass the time? Tell stories, of course! The more embarrassing, the better lol. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter – I know I did!**

* * *

"… And then he said, _go out with me, Evans?" _Sirius was practically crying with laughter at this point.

"Shut up, Sirius," James muttered. Beside him, Lily shook with silent laughter.

"No, no, no," slurred a slightly drunk Marlene. "That's not even the best one."

James's eyes widened. "Marly, don't you dare –"

"Do tell," Sirius said, wiping his eyes.

Marlene raised her Firewhiskey in a toast to James. "Sorry, cousin, but this is just too good an opportunity to waste. Besides, this one's a real legend."

"I hate you," James muttered under his breath. "I really, really hate you."

"Now, James would much rather forget about this day," Marlene began, "which is why he's gotten himself into such a state at the moment." She grinned cheekily at him. "But unfortunately for James, he's outvoted."

Sirius clinked his glass with hers.

"It happened like this," Marlene said, giving James a quick grin. "As you all know, Potter here was quite obsessed with dear Lily in his fifth year."

"We remember," Remus and Peter said simultaneously, pulling faces. The other Order members chuckled, and James got a good-natured punch in the shoulder from Benjy Fenwick.

"And being Potter, he couldn't possibly just ask Lily out the normal way. He _had _to make a big spectacle of it."

James covered his face with his hands. Lily patted his arm soothingly, but she was laughing far too much to make the sympathy believable.

"Since I had the distinction of being both James's beloved cousin and Lily's best friend, I was included in the grand plan."

"Worst idea of my life, that," James muttered. Marlene blew him a kiss.

"It went like this. First, the Marauders would figure out a way to sneak fireworks – yes, you heard right, fireworks – into the Great Hall. To date, I'm still not sure how they did this."

"Trade secret," Sirius said with a smirk.

"Remus charmed the fireworks so they would spell _Go out with me, Evans?" _Marlene lifted her cup, saluting Remus with it before taking another sip of her drink.

She put it down, dark eyes sparkling mischievously as she went on. "But because I'm such a great friend, I changed the charm on the fireworks."

"That was _you?" _James burst out. "Marly, you traitor!"

She grinned at him. "I thought it was very clever of me, actually."

James muttered something under his breath about not trusting cousins ever again, but Marlene just laughed at him.

"The next step of the grand plan was for James to come flying in on his broomstick, do several laps of the Great Hall, then land in front of Lily and give her a bunch of flowers."

"Not lilies, I hope," Hestia Jones asked, giving James a good-natured shove.

James flushed. "Maybe?"

"They were lilies," Lily said, lips twitching. "Well, they were supposed to be, anyway. Would you like to continue, Marls?"

"I'd love to," said Marlene, her smirk uncannily like her boyfriend's. Sirius gave her a high five.

"Before I begin the story of James's eternal humiliation –"

"I really hate you," James muttered under his breath.

" – I need you all to picture a fine Saturday morning in Hogwarts Castle. The enchanted ceiling was a bright, summery blue, the hall was filled with birdsong, and there were pancakes and waffles on the tables.

"Then, out of the blue (pun intended), the hall lit up with massive magical fireworks. Once you looked closer, you noticed that the fireworks spelled out a word – several words, actually – and the words were… _Gout with me, Evans?"_

_"Gout _with me, Evans," several Order members repeated, shaking their heads in a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

"I know," Marlene said, taking a deep breath to calm her chuckles. "But that's not the best part. Oh, Merlin, no.

"Remember, James had no idea what the fireworks said, nor did he know that the entire Great Hall was laughing at him. So he came flying into the hall, complete with his Quidditch gear, and began to make his laps around the hall."

Marlene's smirk was bigger than ever now. "Another thing he didn't know was that I had charmed the back of his robes to say in bright pink letters _Kick me, Evans."_

"Merlin," James said, pretty sure his face was going to turn into a little pile of ashes by the end of the story.

Marlene winked at him. "Love you too, cousin."

She swiped Sirius's cup, completely ignoring his protests and taking a long sip before continuing with her story. "Now, even though everyone thought James was an idiot, _he _hadn't realised it yet. He only saw the fireworks when he was half-way through his first lap.

"He was so shocked that he forgot to look where he was going, and got himself tangled in the Hufflepuff wall hangings. He fell off his broom, somehow – and I really can't tell you how, but it was hilarious all the same – managing to land in Lily's maple syrup.

"He got up, promptly tripped over a jug of orange juice, and landed in the waffles this time. Being the clever witch I am, I saw my chance and did a quick Silly-Sonnet Spell."

"At this point, all James wanted to do was regain his dignity. So he opened his mouth and began to speak. This is what he said:

_Evans, I think you're divine,_

_I wish that you really were mine,_

_Your eyes make me think of a peppermint pie,_

_I mean it, Evans, I promise, no lie,_

_Your hair makes me think of a grizzly bear,_

_In a good way, Evans, don't hex me, I swear,_

_Cause Evans, I think you're really divine,_

_Why won't you give me some kind of sign –_

I'm pretty sure he would have said more, but at that point Lily stood up and said, 'You want a sign? How's this?' and dumped the chocolate sauce onto his hair.

"But James still didn't give up. He ran after Lily, shouting,

_Evans, wait, oh please don't go,_

_I don't understand, was that yes or no?_

At which point Lily threw him with the jug, and he dropped like a stone, Hufflepuff wall hangings, syrup, chocolate sauce and fragments of glass telling the story for anyone who had missed it."

Marlene caught James's eye, smirking devilishly, and he groaned. "Please don't tell me –"

"So of course I took a photo," Marlene said, producing it from somewhere in her handbag and giving James a saucy wink.

Everybody was in stitches at this point, including Professor McGonagall. "That was a day to remember, Potter," she said, wiping her eyes and passing him the photograph.

Even James had to admit that it was pretty hilarious. You could just see Lily storming away, James lying on the floor wrapped in Hufflepuff wall hangings and dripping chocolate sauce and syrup.

"You would never have guessed _that _was how it would turn out, would you?" Marlene asked with a fond smile at James and Lily.

They exchanged glances, both grinning like idiots.

"No," James said, lacing his fingers with Lily's. "I suppose not. But I must say, I've got nothing to complain about."

* * *

**A/N: well, there we are. Please do tell me what you guys thought!**


	16. Day 16 - Wild

**A/N: today is the 26th of October, which makes me officially ten days behind with this thing. Ugh. I've just been _so busy _this last week – I couldn't find time to eat lunch half of the time, let alone write a new chapter.**

**At least it's weekend now, and a little bit more peaceful – I still have that beastly research paper to do, but I'm not rushing to and from lectures every hour anymore, thank goodness. **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. This chapter is a part-flashback again – I hope it doesn't feel too rushed, but like I said I was insanely busy these last few days. Please do drop me a review and tell me what you guys thought – scrolling through the last chapter's reviews had me smiling so much I kept getting these strange glances. Thanks so much for that, guys, and thanks as well for your patience – it really is very much appreciated.**

* * *

"James?" Lily's soft whisper in his ear would always be one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard, even if it _was _the middle of the night.

"What is it, love?" he asked, opening his eyes and offering her a crooked smile.

She was sitting with her legs tucked up against her chest, bathed in moonlight, hugging a pillow to her stomach. James reached over and brushed a gentle hand along her temple, nudging her hair away from her eyes. "You can tell me," he said softly, caressing her cheek.

She sighed and leaned into his touch. "I just… I sometimes wish things had turned out differently."

Hiding his surprise, James propped himself up on one elbow, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Not that I'm not happy with you," she said hastily. "Because I am, really. I just… I catch myself wondering every now and then if I did the right thing, ending my relationship with Severus."

James jerked back, more than a little hurt, but did his best to hide it. "Of course you did the right thing, love. He was an absolute git to you."

"I know that," she said with another sigh, and he was startled to see her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. "But I can't help thinking… he was my friend for so long, shouldn't I have given him another chance?"

"Lily," he said, sitting up and gripping her shoulders gently. "You gave him more chances than he ever deserved. He joined the _Death Eaters, _love. That was his choice – nobody made him do that."

"But what if that's not true?" she whispered, looking absolutely anguished. "What if I _made _him join the Death Eaters?"

"How could you possibly have done that?" he argued, keeping his voice low and kind because he could see she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"If I had agreed to give him a second chance – if I had been a better friend – maybe he wouldn't have felt he needed to take that final step. Maybe he would have chosen our side."

James _knew _she was wrong, but he couldn't think of a way to explain it to her without either making her angry or making her feel even worse. He settled for just running his hands rhythmically through her hair, pressing a light kiss to her temple every now and then.

At long last, Lily shifted to face him, tear-tracks still visible on her cheeks, but her eyes were peaceful, accepting. "There's no way to know what _would _have happened," she said. "I know that, really. I just catch myself wondering sometimes if things couldn't have been different."

"That's why I love you so much," he told her, pulling her to lie comfortably against his chest. "You _care. _You really, sincerely care, no matter what."

Nuzzling his head into her hair, he added contemplatively, "I think that's what made me fall in love with you in the first place."

She stirred slightly against him, turning to look up at him with curious eyes. He laughed a little, then began to speak, knowing that a story was just the thing to cheer her in her current mood.

"Do you remember that time in fourth year when Sirius pulled that awful prank on Snape?" he asked, running his fingers lightly up and down her bare shoulder.

She tensed, but nodded.

"And do you remember what you said to Remus afterwards?"

Another nod.

James smiled, memories flashing in front of his eyes. "You were incredible."

_It was the day of the full moon. James was making his way to the Gryffindor common room after Transfiguration when he heard Evans's voice, soft and urgent, speaking from behind a tapestry of some fifth-century monks._

_"… And Severus told me he thinks you're a werewolf."_

_James cursed under his breath, hand on his wand, fully prepared to shove aside the tapestry, to rush into the alcove to defend Remus and hex Evans until she forgot her own name. _

_"Did you believe him?" Remus's quiet voice asked, and James could just picture the shocked look on his face, his skin turning slightly ashen. _

_There was a brief silence, in which James itched to burst into the room and threaten Evans within an inch of his life. But something held him back, and he waited, tense but silent, for her reply. _

_"Yes," she said at length, and James heard a sharp intake of breath from Remus. He reached for the edge of the tapestry, fury bubbling in the pit of his stomach, but Evans's next words stopped him in his tracks. _

_"But it doesn't change a thing for me," she said firmly. "I'm still your friend."_

_James could see the shocked, disbelieving look on Remus's face all too clearly in his mind's eye. "You mean that?" the werewolf asked, voice unsteady and thick with emotion. _

_"Of course I mean that," Evans said resolutely. "I'm not the kind of person who ditches a friend just because they… have wild episodes every now and then."_

_"Wild episodes," Remus repeated, and though his voice was still shaky, James could hear a hint of humour in it now. "That's a unique way of looking at it."_

_"Maybe a unique way of looking at it is what you need," Evans said. "I've always wondered why you never let yourself make any close friends, except for Potter and his lot. I know you don't believe me, Remus, but being a werewolf doesn't mean you don't deserve to be happy. If anything, it means you deserve it more, because you go through so much and still manage to be this fantastic person."_

_Good on Evans, thought James, genuinely moved. _

_Remus, apparently, felt the same way, because he pulled Evans in for a tight hug, the fabric of their robes rustling. "Thank you, Lily," he said softly. _

_"It's my pleasure, Remus," she said sincerely. "I meant every word, you know," she added._

_"I know, and that's what makes you so special," Remus told her._

_Evans laughed, and James could picture the soft blush staining her cheeks. It would, he thought, make her look rather pretty. _

_Before he could follow that puzzling and rather alarming thought through to fruition, Evans herself appeared, pushing aside the tapestry._

_She was indeed blushing a little, and her smile really was beautiful. It faded the moment she saw James, though._

_"Potter," she said, voice so cold he was surprised the Black Lake didn't ice over. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"_

_"I was just – uh… well, you see – um…" he stuttered stupidly, unable to come up with a suitable excuse._

_Evans's green eyes narrowed to slits. "Were you eavesdropping?"_

_"No!" he said quickly – too quickly. He could tell she didn't believe him. "All right, fine, yes I was," he conceded. "But don't give me that look – I heard your voice saying Remus was a werewolf, and I couldn't let you spread that kind of gossip around school –"_

_"I would never do that," she said coldly. "Remus is my friend."_

_"Yeah, well, he's mine too," he said, already riled by her superior attitude. _

_Evans's expression softened slightly, so slightly it was barely perceptible, but he was sure he saw right nonetheless. "You're a good friend to him, Potter," was all she said before shoving past him and marching away, red hair fluttering behind her._

_James was left staring after her with a surprised, but more than a little stupid smile – something that would become all too common where Evans was concerned._

Lily sighed contentedly and nestled into James's side. "That was really when you fell in love with me?"

"Yep," he said, kissing the top of her head lightly. "You really were amazing that day."

She rested her head against his shoulder and smiled wistfully. "I'm glad you fell in love with me that day," she said softly.

He looked down at her and was struck again by how much he loved her. "Me too, Lily," he said, pulling her close. "Me too."

* * *

**A/N: there we go – and my, it feels like such a long time since I've said this! I really missed my writing this past week :(**

**Thank you so much for reading this, guys! I hope to see you all tomorrow for the next chapter. **


	17. Day 17 - Ornament

**A/N: sorry I'm updating so late, but I started reading elanev91's absolutely brilliant _Eligible _and I just couldn't stop. Seriously, it's fantastic – I highly recommend giving it a read. That author's other Jily fics are also wonderful – do yourself a favour and go read some. **

**Anyway, this chapter is almost entirely happy, feel-good-y fluff (because it's been a while since we've had pure, happy fluff and I miss it.) I hope you guys enjoy Chapter 17!**

* * *

For what must have been the first time in their month of marriage so far, James Potter was up before his wife.

_She's beautiful like this,_ he reflected, giving her sleeping form a fond look. _Beautiful and peaceful. _

Leaning over, he brushed his fingers lightly over her temple, tucking a strand of soft red hair behind her ear. She stirred sleepily, but didn't wake up.

"I love you, Lily," he whispered, and she smiled in her sleep.

Tiptoeing across the room, he carefully shut the door and made his way down the stairs, pausing to let Skye out into the garden before turning on his heel to Apparate.

A few seconds of unpleasant twisting later, he landed outside a small, cheery-looking little shop in Diagon Alley. He quickly regained his balance on the uneven cobbles, stepping forward to ring the doorbell.

The door swung open, and the shopkeeper, a short, genial wizard by the rather amusing name of V.R.Y. Ticklish, rushed out to greet him.

"Mr Potter! Lovely to see you again, just lovely. Your order is ready – if you would like to step into the shop, I can have it wrapped in a matter of moments."

"Thank you," James said, and did just that.

He was back home in five minutes – just as he had reckoned. And unless something was very wrong, Lily would still be fast asleep.

He tiptoed up the stairs again, bending to pat Skye when the puppy whined for attention.

As he had hoped, Lily was still asleep, smiling faintly just as she had been when he had left.

James ran his fingers lightly up and down her bare shoulder, bending to press a kiss to the hollow of her throat. Lily hummed softly, opening her eyes and smiling affectionately down at him.

"Morning," she said, voice laced with sleep but still one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard.

"Morning," he agreed, tucking her body tightly against his and grinning to himself at how perfectly she fitted there.

Lily rested her head on his chest and blinked up at him, still smiling a sleepily satisfied smile. "So, what's the occasion?"

"Hmmm?" he asked, kissing the spot beneath her ear that had her giggling and arching her body into him.

"The… occasion," she said, panting slightly from her laughing fit. "You were up before me. What's the occasion?"

"You don't remember?" he asked, pressing a hand to his chest in mock horror.

Lily's brow furrowed as she thought. Finally giving up, she scowled up at him, "Stop smirking, you git. What's so special about today?"

"Well," he said, tracing little circles on her back with his fingers, delighting in the way she shuddered under his touch.

"Stop teasing and just tell me," she said, gasping as he found a particularly sensitive spot. "James!"

"All right, all right," he relented, dropping his hands but keeping his smirk in place. "You know what today's date is, I assume?"

"Of course," Lily said. "It's the nineteenth of March. But why is that important?"

"It's not the nineteenth of _March _that's important," he hedged.

Lily's frown grew. "Stop being so cryptic and just tell me what you're on about, for Merlin's sake, James!"

Fun as it would be to wind her up even further, James raised his hands in surrender, kissing her forehead lightly. "One month ago today," he began, "was the nineteenth of February."

"Of course it was – _oh," _Lily said, beginning the sentence in clipped, rather irritated tones but ending with a reverential sort of gasp.

"Oh indeed," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Lily smiled radiantly up at him, face glowing with the same pure, absolute joy that she had had a month ago wearing that white dress. "I love you, James," she told him, leaning up to kiss him softly on the lips.

"I love you too, Lily," he answered, matching her smile. He leaned away for a second or so to reach for the package on his bedside table, smile growing even more as he handed it to her.

Lily tried to look stern. "James, what did you do?"

"Nothing much," he assured her. "But I couldn't let our one-month anniversary pass without _somehow _marking the occasion."

The corner of her lips quirked upwards, ruining her stern façade. "Oh, all right," she said, taking the package from his hands and shaking it lightly.

"Don't tell me you got one of those horrid newlywed ornaments," she said, eyes widening with mock horror as the contents rattled around.

"Of course not," he chuckled, putting his arm around her shoulders and hugging her tightly for a moment. "I know you hate those things."

"What is it, then?" she asked, studying the package with sparkling, curious green eyes.

"Why don't you open it and find out?" he suggested, smiling as she started to tug away the wrapping paper at once.

A small leatherbound book fell into Lily's lap, and she traced the gold-set initials on the front reverentially. _J & L. _

"James…" she breathed, looking up at him with wonder-filled eyes.

It had been worth every moment of trouble just to see that expression on her face.

"Lily," he replied, affectionately caressing her cheek.

She opened the album and smiled at the picture – herself in her snow-white wedding dress at the altar, looking deep into James's eyes before smiling, soft and slow, and leaning over to kiss him on the lips.

Silvery stars floated around their entwined figures, and the photo-versions of Sirius and Marlene beamed and clapped from their position to the right of the altar.

"It's perfect," Lily whispered, looking up at James with tears in her eyes.

He leaned down and kissed her. "So are you," he said sincerely, brushing his thumb gently along the line of her jaw.

"I love you so much," she said, melting into his touch.

He tucked her head under his chin, blinking back tears of his own. "I know."

* * *

**A/N: I was sniffing a bit as I finished this chapter – why, why, why do they have to die so young?! It's awful! **

***takes deep breath and dabs at eyes* But I'm all right now. Please do tell me what you guys thought!**


	18. Day 18 - Misfit

**A/N: hi guys! First of all, I am so so so sorry for only updating so late – it's already November, and I'm just barely halfway with this challenge. I've just been so insanely busy these last few weeks – I only get time to write on the weekends, which is a real shame, I know, but that's the sad truth right now. I can't _wait _for summer break, then I'll finally have some space just breathe, you know? (I'm sorry for using my Author's Notes to rant. I'll stop now.)**

**Please do review if you like the story! Reviews are incredible and every single one is hugely appreciated.**

* * *

_"Has anyone seen Lily?" James asked his fellow Marauders, running an anxious hand through his hair._

_"Nah," Sirius replied, not even bothering to open his eyes from his position sprawled on the couch, head resting in Marlene's lap. _

_"Try the Head dorms," Remus suggested, smiling up at James from behind his book. _

_"What he said," Peter agreed. _

_"If she's not there, try the lake," Marlene said, the first bit of information so far that was actually helpful. _

_"Thanks," he said, giving her a quick smile before dashing for the portrait hole._

_Sure enough, Lily was by the lake, her knees tucked up against her chest, staring out across the water as she absently skipped pebbles. _

_"I was looking for you," he said with the smile he reserved solely for her, plopping down on the pebbly lakeshore beside her._

_"Were you? I didn't mean to make you worry," she said, half-nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear._

_"It's no problem," he lied easily. "Besides, that's my job as your friend." _

_Lily smiled a little at that. "Thank you, James," she said, ducking her head and trying in vain to hide her blush._

_"So, what's wrong, Evans?" he asked, gently bumping her shoulder with his. _

_She sighed. "Not much." _

_"I still want to hear it," he said adamantly. _

_Lily returned to her staring over the lake, and he let her be, knowing she would talk when she was ready._

_And so she did._

_"It's Avery, him and that Mulciber. They just won't stop catcalling me when I pass – always Mudblood this, Mudblood that." _

_She held up a hand to stop his protest. "No, I know I shouldn't take it personally, they do that to all the Muggle-borns. And I don't, not really. It's just… my parents died a few weeks ago, James. My sister won't even speak to me, and half of this world thinks I'm worth as much as the dirt on their shoes. Sometimes I feel like such a misfit – like there's no place for me; not here, and not there." _

_He reached out and took her hand, fingers tingling where they touched her skin, and smiled to himself at the soft blush that stained her cheeks. "You're not a misfit, Lily," he told her, tilting her face so she looked him directly in the eyes and brushing his thumb gently along hers. "You belong with me." _

_He expected her to slap him, to argue with him, or at the very least to roll her eyes at him._

_But she did none of those things. _

_She kissed him._

_Once he had gathered his scattered wits, James cupped her face in his hand and kissed her back. _

_And that was the beginning of James-and-Lily._

* * *

"Do you still remember our first kiss?" James asked Lily, swinging their clasped hands as they strolled through the streets of Hogsmeade, smiling at the familiar little shops.

Lily beamed up at him. "Of course."

"And you still remember what I said to you?"

Her eyes softened. "I'll never forget that, James. It was probably one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me."

"Good," he said. "Because I meant every single word. I need you to know that, no matter _what _happens."

Lily stopped, hands on her hips, green eyes flashing with barely disguised panic. "Wait. What are you _not _telling me?"

James sighed, running a hand through his hair. He should have known better than to try and hide something this big from her.

"Dumbledore gave me and the boys another mission," he admitted, hating himself for taking the sparkle out of her eyes, for making her forehead crease with worry.

"Where to?" she asked tersely.

He gave her a long look, but knew there was no point in keeping it from her. She would just find out by herself. "Lestrange Manor," he said at last, refusing to meet her gaze.

Lily's grip on his hand tightened. "James…"

"I have to do it, Lily," he interrupted. "I _have _to."

Lily's eyes glimmered with tears. "I know."

"I'll come back to you, I promise," James whispered, pulling her into him and holding her there, burying his face in her hair and telling himself that it wouldn't be the last time.

Lily took a shuddery breath. "I'll wait for you, for as long as it takes. And you can bet that I'll be the first to volunteer for a rescue team, if it comes to that."

It was his turn to frown, but he knew he couldn't dissuade her, much as she couldn't dissuade him. "All right," he said heavily.

Lily stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him, slow and sad, her cheeks wet with tears but her eyes bright with resolve. "You will come back," she told him fiercely, "because _you _belong with _me."_

* * *

**A/N: ohh, this chapter. THIS CHAPTER! It gave me _such _writer's block until about midnight yesterday, when I was supposed to be writing my research paper (ahem, let's just leave it there). And when I started to type, words just flowed across the screen, and I must say I'm really proud of how it turned out, especially considering the hour most of it was written at :)**


	19. Day 19 - Sling

**A/N: so I was initially planning to have this chapter written and posted by yesterday, but when South Africa won the Rugby World Cup (I'm so proud!) I just had to go out with some friends and celebrate properly. Needless to say, not much writing happened after that. **

**But here I am today, complete with Day 19's submission for you guys. I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

James had always known the Lestrange Manor mission would be a highly dangerous one. But he had always thought it would be dangerous for _him. _

He had been fully prepared to come out of the Manor bleeding, cursed and maybe even short a limb – this was the _Lestranges, _after all.

But nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Lily forced into a corner by Rudolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, both of them firing off Unforgivables left, right and centre.

Lily being Lily was able to hold them off, her green eyes narrowed to slits as she blocked curse after curse. But she couldn't retaliate – she was giving everything she had into her defence.

James shouted _"LILY!" _and for a split-second her concentration faltered, allowing a particularly nasty _Sectumsempra _to slip past her shields.

It was as though time slowed down – he saw the red light of the curse hit Lily's fair skin, saw the bloody cuts begin to appear on her arm, heard her agonised scream, heard one of the Lestrange brothers give a cruel laugh, saw him lift his wand, saw him beginning to mouth the curse that would end everything he loved.

To date, he wasn't sure exactly what happened. Sirius, who had been fighting across from him, said that he had used an Unforgivable, but wouldn't say which one.

All James cared about was that Lestrange's curse missed Lily, who had since fallen to the floor, blood pooling around her prone form.

Heedless of the battle around them, he sprinted to her side and Apparated them as far away as he could manage.

* * *

"Mr Potter?"

He looked up from his intensive study of St Mungo's tiled floor at the green-robed Healer's quiet call. "Yes?" he answered, hope fluttering in his chest.

"Your wife is ready to be discharged," the man told him, and he could have hugged him on the spot.

"Thank you," he managed to gasp out as he raced past the man and down the corridor into Lily's room.

Lily was propped up on a heap of pillows on her bed, one arm in a sling and a tired smile on her face. "James," she said softly.

"Lily," he breathed, rushing to her side and wrapping his arms tightly around her, tears dropping onto her hospital robes.

The fingers of her uninjured arm found their way into his hair, running soothingly through the messy strands. "I'm okay, James," she told him, soft and reassuring. "I'm okay."

"But you almost weren't," he said, pulling back to give her a wretched look. "That bastard almost killed you, and it would have been my fault."

Lily tensed in his hold. "That's not true."

"But it is," he said, hiding his face in her shoulder. "If I hadn't called your name, that curse would never have gotten past your shields. You could have been _dead, _Lily. _Dead."_

"It's just as much my fault for allowing myself to get distracted in the first place," she said sharply. "I won't have you blaming yourself for something that _almost _happened."

He didn't know what to say, so he just pulled her into him, burying his face in her sweet-scented hair.

"I used an Unforgivable," James whispered at last, not able to meet her gaze.

She drew back from him, lifting his chin so he had no choice but to look her in the eyes. "Which one?" she asked, eyes searching his.

_"Crucio, _I think," he said bleakly, then dropped his hands from her shoulders, aware that he was shaking all over. "Merlin, Lily. I _tortured _someone. I tortured someone, and I didn't even _care, _not after what he'd tried to do to you."

Lily's arms wrapped around him, and she sighed softly into his shoulder. "I'm not going to say that it's all right, James," she said, and her voice helped pull him back into reality. "Because it's not, and it never will be. But, James… you'll never be like them. _Never. _They use Unforgivables out of spite, out of prejudice, out of hate. You used one out of _love."_

Her fingers traced gently along his cheek. "And while that still doesn't make it _all right, _it does make a difference – the difference between right and wrong."

"You really think so?" he asked, sighing into her hold.

"Of course," she said softly, smiling lovingly but tiredly up at him. "You're a good person, James, truly. You may have done a terrible thing, but you did it for all the right reasons."

"I love you," he whispered. "I couldn't let them take you. I love you too much."

"I would have done the same," she admitted. "I love you too."

James held her close, and much as he _knew _what he had done was wrong, he also knew he would do it all over again if it meant he got to keep Lily in his arms.

And she felt the same way. That had to mean something.

"What do you say we go home and forget about this whole mess?" he asked, pulling back to giver her a weary smile.

"I say that sounds like the best idea of the day," she said, returning his smile.

It would take time to come to grips with what he had done, he knew that. But with Lily beside him, he could do anything.

* * *

**A/N: well, that chapter went a _very _different route than I had originally planned, I must say. Still, what did you guys think of it? Loved it? Hated it? Thought it was all right? Either way, please do let me know!**

**You guys might actually be seeing me later today (that is, if I can pull myself away from _The Crown _for long enough to write another submission.) If not, there will probably be another chapter out tomorrow.**

**Thanks for reading, and digital chocolates to you if you review!**


	20. Day 20 - Tread

**A/N: as it turned out, I did not manage to drag myself away from _The Crown – _my sister and I binge-watched the last six episodes of Season 2 (gosh, we can't _wait _for Season 3.)**

**Today's chapter is very short and mostly nonsensical, I'm afraid, but it's so hot here in South Africa at the moment that it's the best I could come up with. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

"Ah, Mr Potter, Mrs Potter. As always, it is lovely to see you two," Dumbledore said, blue eyes twinkling kindly as he smiled across at them.

James looked over at Lily, the déjà vu of the situation making him grin. How many times had they sat in chairs exactly like these in Dumbledore's office back at Hogwarts?

_Too many to count, _Lily mouthed at him, and his grin grew. Now if that wasn't true, he didn't know what was.

"First things first," said Dumbledore, smiling over at Lily. "Mrs Potter, I do hope your arm has recovered since the Lestrange mission?"

"Yes, thank you," Lily said, returning his smile. "The Healers say there won't even be any scarring."

"That is most heartening," Dumbledore agreed. "Now, Mr Potter."

James felt his heart skip a beat. "Yes?" he said, squeezing Lily's hand under the table.

"I understand that your mission was successful, and you recovered the key to the Lestranges' vault?"

James could breathe again. "That we did, sir. Sirius has it."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, beaming. "Most excellent. Now, I'm sure the pair of you have much better things to do than sit listening to the ramblings of an old man, so you're free to get along to them."

"That's all?" James asked, not quite hiding his surprise.

Dumbledore smiled serenely at him. "I think so. Both of you performed most admirably on this mission."

James got the distinct impression that Dumbledore knew exactly what he had been worried about (ahem, the Unforgivable, ahem) but that his former Headmaster wasn't going to address it if James wasn't.

_Dumbledore's quite loony, but he's the most brilliant loon I've ever met, _James reflected.

"Thank you, sir," said Lily, rubbing her thumb across James's. He gave her an affectionate grin and helped her stand up, much to her irratation – "I've just got an arm in a sling, James, that doesn't make me incapable!" – and walked her to the door.

"A word of warning," Dumbledore called as they were about to exit. They turned to face him at exactly the same time, wearing matching politely puzzled expressions.

"You will have to tread most carefully around the Lestranges after this particular mission. Especially you, my dear." He nodded at Lily.

James wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders. "I'll keep her safe."

"And I'll keep him safe when he does something stupid like jumping in front of a curse for me," Lily countered, bumping his shoulder with hers.

"You always have to have the last word, don't you?" he groaned, burying his head in her shoulder.

She smirked playfully. "That I do."

Dumbledore watched them with a fond smile on his face. James and Lily had been a long time in coming, but, he was sure, they would be a long time in keeping, too.

* * *

**A/N: they should have been, Dumbledore, they should have been! (Gosh, it really _is _hot out here if I'm resorting to talking to (or typing to, whatever) a character in my fanfiction about the premature deaths of two other characters.)**

**Anyway, if you enjoyed this short, silly and not particularly inspiring chapter, please do leave me a review! Reviews are like cool water in the desert. (Did I mention how hot it is right now? Yes? Oh, right, I did. Sorry. I just don't do very well in the heat.)**

**Thanks a million for your patience and support with this story! You guys really are like lovely ice-cold water :) **


	21. Day 21 - Treasure

**A/N: this chapter picks up directly after the end of the previous one – and since it's rather important to read it in order, I won't keep you guys much longer. Just a quick (but heartfelt) thank-you to everybody who has reviewed, favourited and followed this story before we go on to the next chapter – you guys are awesome, really.**

* * *

James and Lily had just about reached the designated Apparition point when a frantic Marlene appeared in front of them, her robes torn and smeared with blood and what seemed to be some kind of glowing green gel.

"Marly!" James said, surprised, stepping towards her and giving her a concerned once-over. "You look terrible! Where's –"

"Sirius," she gasped, bent double as she fought for breath. "They got Sirius!"

"What? Who?" James asked, dread knotting in his stomach.

Marlene straightened, still panting, eyes shining with desperation. "Death Eaters. They caught us by surprise – we were just heading out to take the key to Dumbledore when a couple of them jumped us."

"Shit," James swore.

"Is Sirius all right?" Lily, pragmatic despite her obvious horror, asked with a gentle hand on Marlene's shoulder.

Marlene buried her face in her hands. "I don't know. One of them grabbed him and Apparated away."

"Shit, shit, shit," James said. Lily gave him a look that said all too clearly _not helping _before turning back to Marlene, pulling the blonde into a comforting hug.

"We'll find him, Marls, I promise. Dumbledore will know what to do." She jerked her head discreetly at James, and he nodded quickly to show he had understood, sprinting back towards the Headmaster's office.

"Mr Potter?" Dumbledore's kindly smile faded as soon as he saw James's face. "What happened?"

"It's Sirius," James said shortly. "Marlene just pitched up at the Apparition point in a state of bebloodied panic. Says a group of Death Eaters ambushed them as they were coming to bring you the Lestranges' key. Apparently they took him and Apparated away."

"That is truly dreadful news," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes solemn. "Where is Miss McKinnon?"

"Outside, with Lily," James explained, then burst out before he could help himself, "Is there anything you can do, sir?"

Dumbledore's expression was uncharacteristically grave. "I wish there was."

James punched the table, more out of desperation than any real anger. Up until now, he had clung onto the faint hope that Dumbledore could fix this, because the thought of losing Sirius was too much for him to bear.

"I am truly sorry, Mr Potter," Dumbledore said softly, and James was surprised to hear his voice break towards the end. "I will do everything in my power to locate Mr Black, but…"

_But there's no guarantee he's still alive. _James heard the unspoken end to that sentence loud and clear and nodded bleakly.

"Thank you, sir," he said, then turned, dazed, to go back to Lily.

This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not _Sirius. _

"Albus Dumbledore," a ghostly voice echoed through the corridors, and James froze on the spot.

"Ah, Tom," said Dumbledore pleasantly, but with a bite of steel in his voice.

"As I am sure you know, I have in my company the pureblood Sirius Black," the voice – Voldemort's, James realised with flash of rage – continued.

Dumbledore sounded tired. "What do you want in return for his release?"

The man laughed – a high, cold sound that sent shivers down James's spine. "Not much. Just a certain key that was wrongfully taken from the possession of its rightful owners yesterday evening. I am certain you know to which key I am referring."

"As a matter of fact, I do," Dumbledore said, and James heard the ring of anger in his voice as he spoke his next words. "But, Tom, you would trade a person's life for a _key?"_

Voldemort's voice was cold and passionless. "The life of a blood-traitor to me is worth less even than the key I am offering to trade it for. Be grateful I do not ask for more in return."

James clenched his fists, wishing he could give the guy a good punch in the nose. Or in the weird slits he had instead of a nose, it didn't really faze him. Then again, a good hex would not be unsatisfying, either.

"The only reason you're not asking for more is because you know I will not give it," Dumbledore countered sharply.

"Be that as it may, my terms stand. You will send James and Lily Potter, _alone,_ with the key. I will meet them outside Malfoy Manor with Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius Black in half an hour's time."

James's mouth dropped open. _Them? _Voldemort wanted _him and Lily? _But why?

"I will have to confer with the Potters before I can agree to your terms," Dumbledore said tightly.

Voldemort laughed again, and James's blood boiled. "I wouldn't worry too much, Dumbledore. James Potter will be all too keen to give himself up in return for his best friend's life."

"There will be no giving up of anything," Dumbledore snapped.

More laughter, the cold, cruel sound of it etching itself permanently into James's brain. "We shall see. Mr Potter, Mrs Potter, if you are listening, I will see you in half an hour's time."

James was still standing frozen in the corridor when Dumbledore strode form his office, face drawn with worry. "You heard, I presume?"

"I did," James said. "And I'll go. Sirius –"

"Would not want you to place yourself and your wife in harm's way just to save him," Dumbledore countered gently.

James shook his head. "I don't care. I'm not letting him die."

Dumbledore's face was resigned, but James thought he saw a trace of pride in his former Headmaster's bright blue eyes. "Very well," he said. "You and your wife, assuming she feels the same way, will meet Lord Voldemort in front of Malfoy Manor in twenty-five minutes' time."

* * *

And so they did.

Lily being Lily had agreed to go at once – "I don't care _how _dangerous it is, sir, but we can't let Sirius die" – and what followed had been the tensest twenty minutes of his life.

Marlene, who had had the key all along, had given it to James with solemn eyes, before pulling him into a tight hug and begging him to be safe.

"We will," Lily had promised her. "And we'll bring Sirius back to you, too."

Now, staring into the cold black eyes of Lord Voldemort himself, James couldn't help but wonder if they would be able to make good on that promise.

"James and Lily Potter," said Voldemort after a full minute of silence, in which James exchanged furious glares with Sirius (they had an entire silent conversation, which went something like this: _you shouldn't have come - of course we should have, you bloody great prat)_ who was bound by black ropes next to Bellatrix Lestrange.

"We brought the key," said Lily, her hand ice cold in James's.

Voldemort nodded, his eyes never leaving their faces. "Good. But before you present it to me, I have a proposal for the two of you."

"Let's hear it," James said, taking strength in the feel of Lily's fingers wrapped around his.

Voldemort smiled, a chilling, eerie expression with no trace of merriment that made James want to Apparate far, far away.

"Both of you are by all accounts exceptional wizards," he began.

James blinked, surprised. Compliments from the Dark Lord was _not _the way he had expected this little trip to go.

"My following could use more innate talent like yours," he said, eyes boring into James's. "Especially a pureblood such as yourself, Mr Potter, would be an invaluable asset to our cause."

James could feel Lily tense beside him. Apparently Voldemort noticed too, because he turned to her with an appraising look on his face.

"Mrs Potter. Muggle-born you may be, but I still believe I could find great benefits in your inimitable talents in the potions department."

Voldemort was willing to turn a blind eye to Lily's blood status? That was a new and shocking development, to say the least.

"The final decision is yours," Voldemort said, apparently misinterpreting their silence as awed agreement. "But I am certain that you will find it easy to divine the right choice."

Lily's fingers were squeezing his hand so tightly that there were white marks on his palm. She was furious, but she didn't trust herself to speak.

Taking a deep breath to calm his own tumultuous emotions, James said, "You would ask us to join your cause while holding our close friend at wandpoint?"

Voldemort looked faintly surprised by this answer. "I… can see how that may cloud your decision."

Beside him, Lily snorted, but managed to disguise it as a cough.

"Will you release Sirius, then?" James asked, daring to hope.

Voldemort exchanged a quick glance with Bellatrix, who was still as a statue by his side. "I will," he said at length, and James's heart soared, "as soon as the key is in my possession."

Letting go of James's hand, Lily took two steps forward so she was standing directly in front of the Dark Lord, opening her palm to show him the key. "Release Sirius," she said, voice hard.

Voldemort's eyes flashed angrily at her tone, but he jerked his head at Bellatrix. With obvious reluctance, she undid the bindings, and Sirius stood up, dusting himself off and flashing his cousin a look filled with loathing.

Lily tossed the key at Voldemort, who froze it in mid-air with a twitch of his wand. Not daring to turn her back, Lily walked two steps backwards again, slipping her hand into James's.

"Your answer, please," Voldemort said, looking up from the hypnotically spinning key and fixing his cold stare on James again.

James suppressed a shiver and glanced quickly from side to side.

On his right, her hand clasped in his again, stood Lily, his beautiful wife, who he knew would fight to the death here if that was what he chose.

On his right, Sirius, his best friend of nine years, who would follow him to Hell and back and make snarky comments the entire way.

He closed his eyes, taking a moment to consider just how much he treasured these people – they really did mean everything to him.

Voldemort's offer meant nearly endless power, and the opportunity to learn magic such as he had never even dreamed of before.

But it also meant he would lose everyone he loved.

Opening his eyes, James met Voldemort's gaze squarely. "No," he said firmly. "Our answer is no."

Anger blazed in Voldemort's eyes, and he began to open his mouth, but then Lily had turned on the spot and Apparated them away.

"Merlin," he breathed when they had landed safely in front of the Order headquarters. "Bloody, bloody Merlin. We just…"

Lily pulled him close and rested her forehead against his. They didn't need words, not then – they understood each other perfectly, just as they had when James had spoken their choice aloud.

Whatever it might mean for them in the future, it was worth it just to see the look on Marlene's face as Sirius appeared safely in front of her, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her softly.

It was worth it just to keep Lily in his arms.

* * *

**A/N: well that was definitely something else! The longest chapter yet, as well. Please do tell me what you guys thought!**


	22. Day 22 - Ghost

**A/N: hi guys! Yesterday was the Springboks' victory parade, and I'm pleased as punch that I was able to attend. So pleased, in fact, that I came straight home and wrote this chapter. After editing it up a bit, I posted it pretty much immediately - I hope it makes you all pleased, too!**

* * *

Realistically, James knew that they weren't the only people, or even the first people, that had done it. Frank and Alice, for instance, had already defied the Dark Lord twice, and the Prewett twins probably even more than that.

And yes, they had all spoken about how terrified the actual act had made them, and about how they had even been a little tempted, just for a moment, even (like in Frank's case) if it was just to keep everyone he loved safe.

But nobody had ever mentioned how hard it would be _afterwards._ Nobody had mentioned that every time you read about an attack, there would be that flash of guilt – _did I make that happen? Did he do that because of me? _

And nobody had ever mentioned the constant fear that even though he hadn't gone after somebody they loved _this time, _what about the next time? And the time after that?

James had never expected it to be easy.

But he also hadn't expected it to be this _hard._

He jumped at every little noise, hand flying to his wand whenever Skye barked at a passing Muggle. Every shadow in every tiny corner suddenly seemed like it was hiding a Death Eater, and every bush was an ambush waiting to happen.

Lily was struggling too, he could see that in the way her green eyes seemed dull and bereft of their playful sparkle, but for whatever reason, he seemed to have come off the worst.

Lily let him be, seeming to sense that he needed quiet and time alone to figure this out on his own.

But after a week of this, she had had enough (and so, if he was honest, had James.)

"We need to talk about the ducks," she said, plopping down next to him on the couch.

James blinked. "I'm sorry, did you just say _we need to talk about the ducks?"_

"Yes," she said, grinning at him. "And it worked, didn't it? You forgot to be broody for a few moments."

He smiled softly at her, touched by how well she knew him and what he needed.

"Was I that bad?" he asked quietly.

Lily sighed. "Afraid so. You wouldn't even go outside for a fly."

James blinked. She was right. "Oh dear, that is pretty bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "It is. But I think you needed the quiet time."

"I think so too," he said, pulling her onto his lap and resting his head on top of hers. "But I shouldn't have cut you out like that."

"You didn't cut me out, James," she corrected gently. "I gave you space. There's a difference. And it helped, didn't it?"

"Still," he huffed, his breath on her neck making her laugh softly.

"It's okay, James," she said, and he sensed she was speaking to herself just as much as to him. "We're going to be okay."

"It'll take time," she continued, rubbing her thumb in soothing circles across his forearm. "And we'll have to take it one step at a time. But we can do it."

"You think so?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

She smiled, holding his gaze. "I know so. We'll get rid of these ghosts of ours the same way we'll do everything else – _together_."

"I love you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. "Did I ever tell you that?"

"Once or twice," she murmured against his lips. "But you can do it again – I quite like the sound of it."

"I love you, I love you, I love you," he said, kissing her cheek, temple and forehead between each phrase.

She laughed, a delighted, happy sound that had him smiling fondly down at her.

She was right. They would be okay.

* * *

**A/N: there we are, guys! I hope you liked this chapter :) **


	23. Day 23 - Ancient

**A/N: so this chapter was giving me a bit of writer's block – I had this idea of describing another Order mission, but it just wouldn't work. Finally I gave up on that and wrote this part-flashback, which in hindsight works a lot better than my other idea. I hope you guys enjoy Chapter 23!**

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready for this, James?" Lily asked anxiously, coming up behind him and looking deep into his eyes, her worry clearly reflected in her green gaze.

"I'm ready," he said reassuringly. "Besides, I can't stay out of Order missions for the rest of eternity, now can I?"

"You're _sure?" _she checked.

"Absolutely," he said firmly. "We said we were going to conquer our ghosts, didn't we? Well, you already went on your first mission after the Voldemort thing. It's my turn now."

"We said we were going to conquer them together," she said, wringing her hands. "And now you're going to Peru on your own."

"You're needed here, Lily," he said. "And we _are _conquering them together – I never would have been able to even consider doing this if it wasn't for you."

"I only went on the Edinburgh mission because I could tell you still needed your space," she countered. "And there was no real danger of Death Eaters there. This is different. It's too soon, and…"

_And it's almost certain that there will be Death Eaters. _He heard the unspoken end to her sentence loud and clear.

"I have to do this, Lily," he said gently, but with a note of steel in his tone so she would know not to pursue this argument further. "If I don't, twenty good Peruvian wizards will die in that tomb, all because of the Death Eaters and some stupid grievance."

"I know," she sighed, resting her forehead against his. "I just…"

"Do you remember my first-ever Order mission?" he asked, brushing soothing circles on her cheek with one thumb.

She smiled a little. "Of course."

* * *

_"Mr Potter," Dumbledore said. "Miss Evans. First of all, I would like to extend once more my warmest thanks to the both of you for joining this organisation."_

_James and Lily nodded solemnly. _

_"As you are no doubt aware, we work discreetly to undermine the work of the Dark wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort. As such, it is critical that we must be able to trust each and every one of our members implicitly."_

_"You can trust us," they said at the same time. _

_Dumbledore smiled. "I know, which is why I have decided it is time to give you your first mission for the Order."_

_They exchanged excited, if a little wary, glances, before turning back to Dumbledore. "What do you need us to do, sir?" James asked._

_"For this mission, I will only require your services, Mr Potter," Dumbledore said. "Much as it pains me to say these words, I need a pureblood not yet affiliated with the Order and from a suitably ancient wizarding family to perform this mission." _

_Lily tensed beside him, but she made no comment. _

_"I'll do it," James said at once, reaching for Lily's hand and squeezing it once in reassurance. _

_Dumbledore smiled. "The mission is simple enough. All you need to do is attend a party held by the Selwyn family – your status as a respectable pureblood should be more than sufficient to grant you entry. Once there, you simply need to slip a tracking potion into Augustus Selwyn's wine."_

_James nodded, and Dumbledore turned to Lily. "Miss Evans, if you would be so kind to brew the potion for us?"_

_"Of course, sir," Lily said with a quick smile. _

_Dumbledore nodded at them. "Excellent, excellent. Mr Potter, you can get further details of your mission from Emmeline Vance, who will be your superior – and your extraction, if things go badly wrong, which I am sure they will not – for this mission. Miss Evans, I trust you will be able to locate everything you need in the Order's stores."_

_They nodded again, and Dumbledore smiled to let them know they were dismissed._

_"I don't like it," Lily said as soon as they were out of the office._

_"I would have preferred it if you could come, too," James assured her. "It's just that these stupid prejudiced purebloods –"_

_"It's not about that," she said impatiently. Taking a deep, shuddery breath, she looked him directly in the eye and explained, "It's about you, James. If I'm not there right beside you, how can I know you're safe?"_

_He pulled on their joined hands, spinning her into his arms. "Hey," he said softly, looking down at her with all the affection he felt for her shining in his gaze. _

_"I understand you're worried," he said, and she sighed into his hold. "I would be, too, without a doubt. But we're going to have to learn to live with this, Lils. We chose this, and we are not backing out of it. We have to trust that we're both good enough wizards to make it back, every single time." _

_"You're right," she said, and he saw the same fierce determination in her gaze that had been there when she had made the decision to join the Order. "And I do trust you, James. I trust you with my life. That's why you have to come back to me. Always."_

_"I trust you with my life, too," he agreed. Clasping his hand in hers, he looked deep into her eyes and spoke, each word resonating deep within him._

_"I, James Potter, declare that I trust you with everything I have, and that I will always come back to you."_

_She nodded at him, a smile gracing her features, before taking a breath of her own and repeating his promise._

_"I, Lily Evans, declare that I trust you with everything I have, and that I will always come back to you."_

_He pulled her close and kissed her, sealing their promise to each other._

* * *

"Do you remember what we promised each other?" James asked, still tracing soothing little circles on Lily's cheek.

Her expression softened. "We promised that we would always come back to each other."

"That promise still holds," he said, his gaze sincere and fixed on hers. "And it always will, no matter what. I will always come back to you."

"And I will always come back to you," she agreed.

He nodded and brushed a quick kiss across her lips. "This isn't a goodbye, Lily," he told her, resting his forehead on hers. "It's a see-you-later."

She stood up on tiptoes to kiss him again, pulling back to look at him with peace in her green eyes. "I can live with that. See you later, James."

"Always, Lily," he promised, bending to press a kiss to the top of her head before turning on the spot and Apparating away.

* * *

**A/N: there we are! I do hope you guys enjoyed this chapter – if you did, please do let me know! Reviews are absolutely awesome :)**


	24. Day 24 - Dizzy

**A/N: we've had so much angst these last couple of days (fluffy angst, it's true, but angst nonetheless) that I thought it was high time for something purely happy. And sure enough, the prompts obliged! I'm more than pleased to present to you guys Chapter 24.**

* * *

James was woken up by the sound of Lily rattling around in the bathroom cupboard for something or other, muttering under her breath when she couldn't find it. He propped himself up on one elbow and reached for his glasses, beaming as he looked around him. It was good to be back.

"What are you looking for, Lil?" he called, standing up and walking into the bathroom, leaning against the door and surveying the chaotic scene with amusement.

Lily's hair was in disarray, and she was wearing only one of his nightshirts as she flung things at random out of the cupboard. Only his Chaser reflexes stopped him from being whacked over the head with a flying toothbrush.

"Lily?" he asked, placing the toothbrush on the sink and crouching next to her, failing miserably at hiding his amusement.

She glared at him. "I'm looking for the bloody back pain potion, if you must know."

"Is your back hurting again?" he asked, concern immediately taking over from amusement.

_"Yes," _she said empathically, groaning a little as she stood up. "Bloody… Merlin, _ow."_

James stepped forward to wrap his arms around her, and it was lucky he did, because at that moment Lily swayed on her feet and collapsed in on herself.

"Lily!" he exclaimed, catching her just before her head could hit the sink. "What the… are you all right?"

"Fine," she said, panting a little as she steadied herself on his shoulder. "I'm fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment."

"Are you sure?" he asked sceptically, still not letting go of her.

"Of course," she said, stepping out of his embrace and promptly falling over again.

"Yeah, right," he said, a trace of humour in his voice despite the seriousness of the situation. "Come on, sit down."

She let herself be led out of the bathroom and back to the bed, putting a hand to her forehead and lying back against the pillows.

"I don't know what's –" she stopped mid-sentence, putting a hand to her mouth with mild panic.

Before he could stop her, she was up and sprinting for the bathroom, just barely making it to the toilet before practically vomiting her stomach out.

James rushed after her, holding back her hair as she retched into the toilet. After almost a full minute of emptying out the contents of her stomach, she let her head drop onto the toilet seat with an exhausted sigh.

As gently as he could, James wrapped his arms around her and carried her back to the bed, gently brushing a bit of sweat-stained hair out of her face.

"Do you feel better now that that's out?" he asked, still brushing his fingers lovingly across her forehead.

She grimaced. "I… well, the dizziness is gone, at least, but I still feel bloody awful."

"What's brought this lot on?" he asked, twirling a strand of red hair between his fingers.

Lily ducked her head, cheeks flushing slightly, and refused to meet his gaze. "I have a suspicion," she admitted. "But…"

"But what?" he asked, kissing her on the tip of her nose and grinning when she scrunched up her eyes and giggled.

"I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "I don't want to tell you until I know for sure."

"Should I be worried?" he asked, tickling her in that sweet spot just below her collarbone.

She laughed and swatted his hands away. "I don't think so. Just get me Marlene, would you?"

* * *

Marlene's ecstatic shriek when he told her Lily had called for her should have been his first clue.

"Really? She's sure?" his cousin kept gushing.

"No," a rather put-out James explained. "She said she wanted to find out for sure before she told me anything."

"That's definitely for the best," Marlene said, then broke out into another massive grin. "Merlin, I can't believe it! This is wonderful!"

_"What?" _he asked.

But Marlene just grinned at him. "See you in a sec."

* * *

Despite his pouting and protests, neither Marlene nor Lily would tell him a thing more than "be patient and wait in the living room."

He was pretty sure he had worn out the carpet with his pacing – Skye kept giving him these sideways glances, and James could just see him thinking _it's finally happened. The human has lost his mind. _

Maybe he _had_ lost his mind if he was filling in the dog's thoughts.

He was cut off in his contemplations of his own sanity by another (even louder, if that was even possible) shriek from Marlene.

"Pink!" his cousin called gleefully, charging down the stairs and flinging herself into his arms. "It's pink!"

Okay, he wasn't the only one who had lost his mind.

He extricated himself from Marlene's ecstatic embrace and folded his arms. "All right, McKinnon, what's going on?"

Marlene seemed quite unable to stop grinning. "I'll let Lily tell you. Oh, James, this is fantastic!"

He was pretty sure he heard her say _"pink!" _to herself in a delighted whisper as he passed.

Shaking his head, James made his way up to the stairs and into the bedroom, where Lily was still stretched out on the bed.

She was wearing a soft, happy smile, but a trace of nervousness entered her expression as he entered the room.

"Hey," he said softly. "Care to explain why Marlene's been acting all excited?"

Lily's expression was fond and just a little exasperated. "That's Marly for you."

"Quite," he agreed, settling himself on the bed next to her. "So, Lils? Are you going to clear up the _pink _mystery for me?"

Lily smiled and took a quick breath, as though steadying herself, and squeezed his hand. Then she reached into the drawer of her bedside cabinet, pulling out a small vial of clear potion. She held it over her stomach and murmured a soft spell.

At once, the potion turned a bright, rosy pink.

Understanding dawned for James. He looked up from the potion to Lily's eyes, searching them for confirmation. "Really?" he breathed.

Lily smiled, a little nervously, he thought, and nodded.

"You're pregnant?" he checked, hardly daring to believe it.

Lily nodded again, shaking the bright pink potion.

"That's amazing!" he said, throwing his arms around her and hugging her fiercely.

"You really think so?" she breathed into his shirt.

He pulled back, surprised. "Of _course!"_

Lily broke into a massive smile. "Thank goodness."

He reached for her hand and laced their fingers, placing their joined hands on her completely flat stomach. "Hey, little guy," he said softly, squeezing Lily's fingers. "This is mommy and daddy."

There were happy tears in Lily's eyes, and James could feel some welling up in his own eyes.

"I can't believe it," he told Lily, shaking his head. "We're going to be parents!"

"We are," said Lily, smiling through her tears. "Oh, James."

"I love you," he said, hugging her close again. "And I love you too," he added, bending to press a quick kiss to her stomach.

He heard a camera shutter snap, and saw Marlene standing there, beaming through tears of her own. "You two are so perfect," she half-sobbed, clutching the camera close.

James tapped their joined hands on Lily's stomach. "The three of us, you mean," he corrected with a soft smile.

"The three of you," Marlene agreed. "Happily ever after."

Lily squeezed James's hand, and he pressed his lips to her temple. And in that moment, everything was perfect.

* * *

**A/N: aww, pregnant Lily! And fluffy, happy Jily! This is one of the longest chapters yet (not to mention the second update for today – I'm so proud of myself.) It really just wrote itself whenever I sat down, and I sincerely hope you guys were smiling as much as me when you read it. **


	25. Day 25 - Tasty

**A/N: we're having another fluffy, silly chapter today, because the next few are going to be very serious again and I couldn't make myself completely destroy the lovely happy feelings I created for James and Lily last chapter. So here's another bit of pregnant Jily fluff for you guys, set about a month after the previous chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

"Er, Lily, what are you doing?" James asked blearily (and, he reasoned to himself, he had perfect reason to be bleary because it was well past midnight.)

Lily spun around, green eyes widening guiltily. "Oh, I'm sorry, James. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't worry, it's not a problem," he said, waving a hand. "Besides, what kind of a husband would I be if I didn't wake up when my pregnant wife did?"

Lily's gaze softened. "You're going to be such a great dad, James."

"And you're going to be the world's most brilliant mum," he returned, wrapping his arms around her from behind and planting a kiss on her temple. "But back to business. What one earth are you doing with that yoghurt?"

"Oh, I'm dishing it into a bowl," Lily said as though it was obvious. (It was.)

"Yes, but… is that _lemon juice _in the bottom of the bowl?"

"And bananas," Lily nodded.

"Am I missing something here? Because I had no idea you were a fan of bananas, lemon juice and yoghurt - _together_."

"With Chocolate Frogs sprinkled on top," Lily said amiably.

James stared. "How can you eat that?"

Lily offered him a spoonful of her concoction. "You should try it. It's really tasty."

"Ah, no, thanks," James said, taking a step back.

Lily smirked. "Surely you're not _scared _of a little bit of yoghurt mixture? I'm sure you've eaten far worse on a dare from Sirius."

"Yeah, but that was on a dare," he argued, shaking his head determinedly when she waved the spoon at him.

Her smirk was diabolical now. He should have _known _Sirius would be a bad influence. "All right then, James Potter. I dare you to eat a spoonful of my yoghurt, lemon juice, banana and Chocolate Frog mixture."

"Lily! No fair," he complained, but she didn't relent.

He knew he had lost when she added, face so innocent that he knew something particularly bad was coming, "Well, if you don't, I'll tell Sirius you refused a dare."

"Oh, all _right," _he gave in, reaching for the spoon with extreme reluctance.

"Go on," Lily said, grinning as he stared disgustedly down at the mixture on the spoon.

As slowly as humanly possible, James lifted the spoon to his mouth and took the tiniest bite imaginable of its contents.

It was even worse than he had imagined.

"That…is…_horrific," _he gasped, rushing for the sink and rinsing his mouth repeatedly with water.

"The baby seems to like it," Lily said, patting her stomach, her smile turning soft and loving.

James walked forward and knelt in front of Lily so he was eye level with her stomach. "You, little guy, are going to be one weird kid," he informed it. "But that's okay. We love you already."

"We do," Lily agreed, rubbing her hand protectively over her belly, which had just-just started to rounden. "And don't listen to James, he's just sour because he doesn't like the same things we do. You're going to be a hero, little one."

"Our hero," James agreed, standing up and folding his arms around his wife again. She melted into his embrace, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I love you so much," he whispered into her hair. "Both of you. Weird tastes in food or no."

Lily twined her fingers with his, resting their hands on her stomach. "We love you too."

James wished he could preserve this moment forever – Lily swaying gently from side to side in his arms, their joined hands on her stomach, all three of them safe and happy in their home.

But such things were, of course, impossible.

He settled for burying his nose just a little deeper in Lily's hair, happy to enjoy the moment of perfect happiness while it lasted.

* * *

**A/N: I wish I could preserve that moment too, James. *sniffs* **

**As always, guys, reviews are absolutely awesome – a _huge _thank-you to everyone who's taken the time to leave some so far. You guys make my day with your lovely words, every single time I read them. **

**Thanks for sticking with this story! See you guys soon. **


	26. Day 26 - Dark

**A/N: first of all, guys, I am so sorry for my long absence – I was studying for my exams (shudders) and didn't have any time for writing. Sad, isn't it? But I'm back, and I hope, better than ever. **

**This chapter is written for the We Shall Remember challenge over at the Golden Snitch fanfiction forum, using the prompt "write about the first war against Voldemort" as well as the additional prompts "(plant) poppy" and "(emotion) fear." I am a proud member of Ravenclaw House there. **

**Word count: 1702**

**I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

All things considered, James and Lily had been lucky in the war so far. Yes, they had almost died on multiple occasions, but only _almost. _They still had all of their close friends and (at least in James's case) their family members.

But that didn't mean they were unaware of the dangers – in fact, their lack of significant loss so far made them even more aware of the ever-lingering threat.

In light of all this, both James and Lily thought it incredibly important to have frequent dinners with their family and friends. Though it was never said aloud, everyone was more than aware of the reason for these gatherings: _make the most of it while we still can._

It was at one of these family gatherings over at the Potters' to celebrate Lily's pregnancy that it happened.

The Potters' beautiful, centuries-old stained glass dining room window exploded inwards, raining the surprised eaters with shards of coloured glass. James cursed and, pausing to give his roast lamb a longing look, grabbed Lily by the arm and yanked her under the table.

And just in time too. The chair where he had been sitting smashed into the wall behind it, blown to pieces by a particularly powerful Killing Curse.

James's mother screamed, the sound high and terrified, echoing eerily in the sudden and deathly quiet that had followed the explosions.

James leapt to his feet, aware of Lily doing the same next to him, and flung a Shield Charm in his mother's direction. Flashes of green and red curses shot through the window, shattering on his charm and the one Lily had cast in front of them.

"Mum! Dad! Get to the drawing room," James called urgently, blocking a Stunning Curse and dodging an _Expelliarmus. _

"We're not leaving you and Lily here," his father said, stubborn despite the fear in his eyes.

"You have to," Lily snapped, panting a little as she dodged curse after curse, retaliating with grim skill.

"But, Lily, you're pregnant!" his mother cried, her eyes huge and scared. James felt his chest constrict – how could he have forgotten?

"I'll manage," said Lily grimly, ducking a blue Stunner and putting a hand to her stomach, breathing deeply.

"Go with them," James told her, holding up his hand to stop her argument. "No, listen. They'll need a skilled duellist like you to keep them safe, in case –"

"I'm not leaving you," she said, her eyes flashing with angry tears.

"Think of the baby, Lily," he shot back, wincing as a reddish _Crucio _just-just missed him.

Lily's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, her hand going almost unconsciously to her stomach and cradling it.

"Go, go, go!" he shouted, shouting _"Incendio!" _to create a distraction. The remnants of the stained-glass window burst into flame, and the slew of curses temporarily halted.

Lily gave him a desperate look over her shoulder, then turned and ran, pulling his parents after her.

James turned back to the flaming window and froze, mouth dropping open. The scene was like something from his worst nightmares – a tall, dark figure walking ominously through a ring of fire, wand held high.

"Voldemort," he breathed.

The man inclined his head, flicking his wand almost lazily. James tensed, but the curse soared past him, hitting the large oak doors of the dining room and slamming them shut with an ominous _clang. _

Lily, who had just reached the doors, spun around in consternation, her eyes widening with horror when she saw the figure in the fire.

"Hello again, Mr and Mrs Potter," said Voldemort, stepping from the flames and brushing off his robes contemptuously.

Lily lifted her chin defiantly, pushing James's parents behind her and raising her wand.

"Such bravery," Voldemort mocked. "I must say, I admire it, useless as it may be."

A single flick of his wand had Lily tumbling to the floor. James shouted and sprinted to her side, crouching down and feeling frantically for a pulse.

"I'm okay," Lily's voice said, soft but steady. "It was just a Knockback Jinx."

"And the baby?" he asked, his own heart hammering as he put his hand on her stomach.

"Fine," Lily assured him. "We're both fine."

He pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes in silent relief.

Then his mother screamed, a sound of pure, absolute fear, and he jerked backwards, whipping around to where she was standing.

Or, more accurately, where she _had been _standing.

Fleamont and Euphemia Potter were revolving slowly in mid-air, limbs splayed and waving frantically as Voldemort watched, his snake's eyes narrowed into cruel slits.

"Mr Potter," he said to James, and he clenched his fists.

"What?" Lily asked, voice deadly calm – the kind of calm that was ten times more terrifying than her most furious of rages.

"Once before, I have made you an offer, which you have foolishly declined," Voldemort said, eyes never leaving the prone figures of James's parents. "I give you the chance to redeem yourselves now."

James was shaking, half in fear for what could happen to his parents, and half in absolute anger. How _dare _Voldemort use his parents to force their hand like this?

"Say nothing, son," his father said, voice strong despite his obvious panic.

James nodded mutely, tears prickling in his eyes as he shared a smile with his mother – a smile that could very well be both of their last.

"Bravery to the point of foolishness," Voldemort said, and James detected a trace of anger in his cold voice. _"Such _a Gryffindor trait."

"I'd rather be foolishly brave than a lying, murdering snake," Lily said, still in that dangerously calm voice.

Voldemort sneered. "A fool is certainly what you are. _Crucio!"_

But the curse never reached Lily, or the baby – James's mother somehow shook herself free of Voldemort's mid-air paralysis and flung herself in its path.

She fell hard, dropping to the floor with an awful finality.

"NO!" James and his father screamed simultaneously.

A slow trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mother's mouth, but she managed a weak smile at James. "I… am proud… to die for you," she said to Lily, nodding sadly at her stomach. "I wish… I could have… met my grandson, but this way… he lives."

"Mum," James said, his voice a strangled sob.

"I love you," she said, her voice so soft now he could barely hear it. "All of you."

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she breathed her last.

"No," James whispered, cradling his mother's head in his lap. "No, no, no!"

"Now do you see where bravery gets you?" Voldemort asked, his voice emotionless, mocking.

Something inside James snapped. He leapt to his feet, eyes blazing, _Avada Kedavra _on his lips –

But his father dropped to the floor in front of him, landing a little awkwardly but keeping his balance, and shook his head gently. "Mia wouldn't want that," he said softly, and James froze.

"Mia spent her whole life in the light," his father continued, still in that soft, gentle voice. "It would break her heart if you went over to the dark for her sake."

James lowered his wand, dropping his head. His father was right, of course.

But that didn't make it any easier.

Lily moved up behind him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he drew in a deep, shuddery sigh, leaning into her touch.

His father moved his wand in a slow circle, conjuring a bouquet of poppies from midair. _Mother's favourite flowers, _James thought, eyes prickling with tears as his father laid the makeshift wreath on his dead wife's chest.

"Go," his father said gently, straightening and showing James the single poppy flower that remained in his palm.

James blinked uncomprehendingly. "We can't, Dad, the wards prevent Apparition –"

_"Portus," _his father said, and the flower glowed bright blue before returning to rich red. "You can now."

"We won't leave you here," Lily said, speaking for the first time since his mother's sacrifice.

"You have to," his father countered, his age-clouded eyes bright with purpose. _"He _will never let you leave if there isn't a distraction."

"But you'll die," James choked out.

"My heart died with Mia," his father said, eyes immeasurably sad as he looked at his wife's still form. Her face was peaceful in death – if it wasn't for the bright bloodstain on her cheek, James could almost believe she was just sleeping.

Lily gave a soft sob behind him, and his father smiled. "Peace, daughter," he said, reaching for her hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "Mia and I… we would have died soon, anyway. You two are young, with all your lives ahead of you. Go, and be happy."

"Thank you," Lily said, pressing her hand to her stomach and bowing her head, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Dad, I…" James began, but his father smiled.

"I know, son," he said gently. "I love you, all three of you, and death isn't going to stop that. But you have to go now."

And before James could stop him, he turned around to Voldemort and shouted, "STUPEFY!"

James's Chaser reflexes kicked in and he caught the falling poppy as his father tossed it behind him. Then the world twisted and compressed around them, and the last thing James saw and heard before they disappeared completely was Voldemort's scream of rage, followed by a flash of green.

They landed outside their cottage, in pouring rain. James staggered, and Lily caught him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and burying her head in his shoulder.

He held her close, both of them shaking with sobs, both soaked through completely with rain, but neither of them cared.

At last, Lily lifted her head and spoke, her voice muffled by the rain and hoarse from crying. "They were two of the bravest people I have ever known," she said, her green eyes still tear-filled but now also holding a sad kind of peace. "I'll never forget what they did for us, not for as long as I live."

"At least they went together," he said. "That's what they always wanted."

It wasn't much comfort, but it was better than none at all.

James reached for her rain-soaked hand and laced their fingers, and they walked together into their cottage.

Together. That was how they would always be.

* * *

**A/N: this was one of the saddest chapters so far, I think – I had tears in my eyes as I was editing it. But please do let me know what you thought – I absolutely love hearing from you guys. **


	27. Day 27 - Coat

**A/N: it's been too long! I'm so sorry for waiting so long between updates _(again) _but like I said I was super-busy with exams. You might notice the past tense there – my exams are over! I'm on holiday now, hooray. Which means, of course, lots and lots of writing. I might actually finish this fic before 2020! (Which, now that I think about it, is ridiculously late considering it was supposed to finish in _October. _But hey, at least I'm finishing.)**

**A huge thank-you to everybody who has been patient enough to stick with this story (and write lovely reviews) random updates and all. You are all amazing – thank you so, so much!**

* * *

It was raining hard when they went back to Potter Manor, which was only fitting, James thought bleakly. Lily squeezed his fingers gently, and he squeezed back, more grateful than he could ever explain with words for her silent support and understanding.

He took a deep breath and walked through the ruined door, wincing as he saw the curse damage on his mother's pristine wallpaper. She had loved that wallpaper, and used to yell at him and Sirius if they so much as touched it.

He heard Sirius give a soft sigh behind him, and saw his almost-brother also looking forlornly at the wallpaper.

Marlene wrapped her fingers around his in a rare display of affection and rested her head on his shoulder, her tears spilling onto his shirt. Sirius buried his face in her hair, his free hand stroking her back gently.

It was easy to forget that he wasn't the only one grieving, but seeing his cousin and his best friend like this couldn't help but remind him.

His parents had been so loved.

James wiped the back of his hand over his stinging eyes and took another step forwards, taking strength in Lily's quiet presence by his side.

He walked through the double doors into the dining room, taking in a shuddery breath when he saw the shattered window and burnt furniture on the far side.

His mother's body still lay peacefully in the middle of the room, her arms folded around the poppy wreath and a faint smile on her face.

His father's, on the other hand, was crumpled next to the door, a pained expression twisting his face and one hand still outstretched from throwing the Portkey flower at James.

James heard Lily sigh deeply, and felt a tear splash onto their joined hands.

He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, and she returned the gesture, sniffing softly as she tried to stifle another sob.

_It's okay, _he wanted to say, but he didn't, because it wasn't.

His parents were _dead. _How could that possibly be okay?

His father's body rose into the air, floating towards the door. James turned, surprised, and saw Sirius standing there, his jaw set and his wand raised.

James gave him a quick nod and lifted his own wand, levitating his mother's still form into the air and after her husband's.

Dumbledore was waiting for them outside, and he smiled sympathetically at James, saying words he couldn't hear as they laid the bodies gently in their coffins.

There was a pounding in James's head. He kept thinking that this was all an awful nightmare and he would wake up at any moment, breathing hard and terrified, but without this aching emptiness.

People passed in front of him, their faces blurring together and the meaningless, well-intended sympathies they offered falling on deaf ears.

None of this was real.

It couldn't be.

Someone was saying his name. His glasses were too blurred with tears for him to be able to make out the person properly, but he thought he recognised the soft tones of the voice.

It was Lily, and she was speaking to him.

She seemed to sense that he wasn't hearing her, because she put a gentle hand to his cheek, resting her forehead against his before kissing him, soft and slow and sad.

That was what brought James back to reality. Lily's lips on his, firmly real, but _sad, _so sad.

This had really happened. His parents were dead.

He sat down hard, and Lily dropped down next to him, putting her arms around him.

He was vaguely aware of two more presences behind him, and recognised their voices as they spoke to one another in soft tones: Sirius and Marlene.

They settled next to him and Lily, and they huddled together on the cold, wet grass, sharing their grief.

They didn't need words. They had each other.

James took their comforting presences and wrapped them around himself like a warm coat, dulling the cold sting of his grief.

He wasn't alone. He had people who loved him dearly and who understood exactly what he was going through.

That didn't make it any less painful, not really.

But it did help.

He could see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it had Sirius's smirk, Marlene's playful grin and Lily's soft, kind smile.

They would make it. They had each other.

* * *

**A/N: so for this chapter, my sister challenged me to use no dialogue, which is _not _something I've done before, and I have rather ambivalent feelings about the result. Please do let me know what you guys thought! **


	28. Day 28 - Ride

**A/N: thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I couldn't stop smiling as I read your lovely words – you guys are awesome, thank you, thank you!**

**This chapter took me a while to get right, but now that I have it, I must say I'm quite happy with the result. I hope you guys are, too!**

**Oh, and before I forget: if any of you are readers of my royalty AU fic _Our Royal Romance, _you'll hopefully be happy to hear that I spent the entire afternoon yesterday working on Chapter 5. It should be ready for posting this Friday _(finally, _right?!) **

**But enough of my rambling now. On to the story!**

* * *

"James," Lily's voice was soft in his ear. He started slightly, but didn't look away from his study of the stars out of their bedroom window.

"Why aren't you asleep?" she asked, running gentle fingers along his bare back.

"Can't," he said dully, still staring bleakly out of the window.

He heard Lily sigh behind him, the sound full of worry. "It's been nearly a week, James, and you haven't slept more than five hours in that entire time."

"I'm sorry, Lil," he said, turning to face her for the first time. "I just… whenever I close my eyes, I see their faces."

"I understand," she said softly, her green eyes sad but sincere, and he knew that she really, truly did.

She had lost her own parents two years ago, and now she had lost her in-laws. If anyone knew what he was going through, it was Lily.

"Come for a fly," Lily said quietly.

James blinked, the sheer unexpectedness of her words making him forget about his moroseness for a moment. "I'm sorry, what?"

A ghost of a smile flitted across Lily's lips. "I said, come for a fly."

When he kept staring at her in numb astonishment, she rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. "Come on. It'll help, I promise."

"Lily, I –"

He stopped just short of the stairs, looking at Lily with mild panic.

"You _can, _James," she encouraged gently. When he didn't move, she sat down on the top step and pillowed her chin in her hands, staring into the night with a sad half-smile.

"Do you remember our seventh year at Hogwarts? My parents died just a few weeks after I became Head Girl. It was… the hardest time of my life."

She looked up at him, green eyes earnest, and he settled on the step next to her with a sigh, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

"But you were there for me, James. We weren't even dating – Merlin, we were barely even friends – but you were there for me. At first, you didn't even say anything. You just held me. And that's what I needed, I think."

James nodded, knowing the feeling all too well himself now.

"It helped, James, it really did. But as time passed, you realised that I needed something else. The time for holding had come and gone." She paused, smiling slightly, and added, "Can you remember what you did for me next?"

He nodded again, a faint smile playing on his lips, which Lily mirrored.

"You took me out for a broomstick ride, James, no matter how much I complained and said that I didn't want to and I couldn't do it, anyway. _And it helped. _It helped me so, so much. It showed me that despite the fact that I had lost my mum and dad, I could still be happy."

She put her hand gently on his cheek, looking directly into his eyes. "You need to see that, too, James."

"I already have," he said, surprising himself just as much as her.

But it was true. He had.

Lily furrowed her brow. "I don't understand… What do you mean?"

"You, Lily," he said softly, tracing circles on her cheeks with his thumbs. "You make me happier than anything else in the world. I just needed to remember that."

Lily's eyes softened, and her cheeks dimpled as she smiled affectionately at him. "You make me happy too, James," she said softly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Let's not think about that," he said, leaning in to kiss her gently.

She rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes and breathing out contentedly.

"Do you want to come back to bed now?" she asked at length, opening her eyes and smiling up at him.

He stood up, pulling her with him by their interlaced hands. "That sounds wonderful."

James fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, his cheek resting against Lily's and his hand on her belly, a smile on his face for the first time since his parents' death.

* * *

**A/N: there we are, Day 28 at last. I can't believe this challenge is so nearly over! **

**But as James pointed out, let's not think about that. There are three more days of this left, and I intend to enjoy them as much as possible. I hope you guys do too!**


	29. Day 29 - Injured

**A/N: two updates in one day! I'm proud of myself. Fair warning, though, this chapter is another Voldemort-y one (sighs – it has to be done. But at least I can put a bit of fluff in the beginnig.) **

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, Voldemort-y or no. Cheers!**

* * *

"I have to say, this is nice," James said, stretching himself out contentedly on the picnic blanket and grinning up at his wife. "Though I don't know how you can eat _that." _He pulled a face at her peanut-butter-and-pickles sandwich.

Lily just grinned back.

James folded his arms back under his head and looked up at the sky, his smile turning soft as he saw a cloud that looked like a baby's pram.

"One day we'll bring you along when we go for picnics," he told Lily's stomach. "We can look at the clouds together."

He could just see it happening – himself and Lily, dressed exactly as they were today in casual Muggle clothes, Lily with her hair in a messy bun and a baby carrier under one arm.

He would be holding the baby, and he would take one chubby hand in his and point it up at the clouds.

The baby would laugh and wave his little arms up and down, just as James himself had done in a favourite photograph of his mother's, and Lily would look down at them with a fond smile.

Sirius and Marlene could come along too, occasionally, and tease them for being all soppy and romantic while secretly being just as loved-up themselves.

It would be absolutely perfect. It would be –

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

Lily screamed as the Killing Curse just-just missed her head, hitting the trunk of the beech tree they were lying under with a resounding crash. Scraps of bark flew in all directions, and the tree shuddered dangerously.

"Get down!" James shouted, the Auror-trained part of him taking over at once. He scrabbled in his robes for his wand, but Lily beat him to it, her face coldly determined as she cast a Shield Charm in front of them.

Another Killing Curse shot their way, hitting Lily's shield and rebounding back to its caster. James heard a startled yelp from just below the dip of the hill, and smiled grimly.

"We have to get out of here," he told Lily urgently, and she nodded sharply, wincing as another Killing Curse struck their beech tree.

"That would be a prudent course of action," said a high, cold voice from behind them, and James was pretty sure his blood turned to ice on the spot.

"However, it is not a course of action open to you. _Expelliarmus."_

Before James or Lily could so much as shout in protest, their wands flew out of their hands and directly towards the tall, black-cloaked figure striding up the hill towards them.

Voldemort caught the wands deftly and smiled chillingly at them. "We meet again, Mr and Mrs Potter."

"Charmed," Lily snarled. "Fuck off."

James winced, but he had to admire her nerve.

Voldemort threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, such spirit! Every time I see you, I am reminded why you would be such excellent assets to my forces."

"Well, it's never happening," James said firmly, lifting his chin and looking the Dark Lord straight in the eye.

Voldemort fingered their wands, his eyes gleaming red. "Do not speak too soon, Mr Potter."

James opened his mouth to snap out a stinging retort, but Voldemort held up a hand, and his tongue froze.

"I am aware that in the last two instances I asked you to join my forces, the circumstances were less than ideal."

Lily snorted. "You call holding our friends and family at wandpoint _less than ideal?"_

"Silence," Voldemort hissed, and Lily's mouth snapped shut. She glared at him furiously, green eyes blazing with hatred.

Voldemort took a measured breath, as though calming himself. "I can see why the circumstances may have caused your answers to be… biased," he said eventually, his long white fingers stroking the handle of his black wand lovingly.

Lily was unable to speak, but her expression of absolute contempt could not possibly be misinterpreted.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "I have come here to offer you positions in my following for the final time. Think carefully on your answers."

He fingered their wands meaningfully.

James and Lily exchanged a glance, and they didn't need words to understand one another.

He reached for Lily's hand, and they stood up as one, wandless, facing down the darkest wizard of all time.

"You have an answer for me?" Voldemort asked, his eyes glittering hungrily.

They nodded.

"Then speak," said Voldemort.

As one, James and Lily shook their heads. "No," they said together.

Voldemort's eyes blazed pure scarlet for a second in his rage. "You dare defy me?" he thundered, looking entirely unhinged for a second or so.

He regained his temper eerily quickly, looking at them with an expression of calm that was more terrifying than his brutal anger a second earlier.

"Very well," he said quietly, raising their wands. _"Avada –"_

"STUPEFY!" James bellowed.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Lily yelled wrathfully at the same time.

Voldemort looked utterly bemused for a second or so, then he flew backwards, hitting the beech tree with a sickening crunch.

James and Lily's wands flew into their hands.

"How on earth…" Voldemort breathed, looking genuinely terrified for a single elation-filled moment.

"You forget," Lily said coldly, "that we're not just fighting for ourselves."

Then she turned on her heel and Apparated.

* * *

Lily had taken them to the Order headquarters, where a shcoked and worried McGonagall ushered them through to Dumbledore's office at once.

"James, Lily," Dumbledore said with a kind smile. "How can I help you?"

"Voldemort ambushed us," Lily said without preamble.

"And then our wands did something strange," James added.

Dumbledore blinked. "I see. Well, please do have a seat; I'll fetch us some tea."

He flicked his wand, causing a bright blue teapot to appear on the desk and start whistling away merrily.

James stared at it, his hand still clutching Lily's.

Despite her display of bravado, Lily was shaking slightly, her knuckles white where she was clinging onto his hand. He rubbed his thumb in soothing circles across the back of her hand, feeling quite shaken himself.

"So, Lord Voldemort sought you out personally?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes unusually serious as he studied them over his steepled fingers.

James nodded, and Lily squeezed his hand.

"Did he have anything in particular to ask of you?" Dumbledore's tone was light, but James could hear a distinct note of worry hidden beneath the casual tones.

"The bastard wanted us to join his Death Eaters," Lily said, her grasp momentarily tightening on his hand as her eyes flashed with anger.

"And what did you say to this… request?"

"No, of course," James said.

Dumbledore's eyes shone with fierce pride, but a hint of sadness lurked in the blue depths. "You are two exceptionally brave people," he said with just a hint of melancholy.

The tea was ready now; Dumbledore flicked his wand and three cups appeared. The teapot poured itself, neatly filling each cup before settling back demurely on its place.

Each of them took a cup, and James sipped gingerly, wincing as the hot liquid burned his tongue.

Dumbledore took a sip of his own and placed his cup on the desk, surveying James and Lily again. "If rumours are correct," he began, "this is the third time you have defied Lord Voldemort."

At Lily's nod, an unreadable expression flitted across his face. Regret? Understanding? James couldn't be sure.

"That will no doubt have severely injured his pride," Dumbledore said grimly. "I am sure you are fully aware of the danger this places you both in."

They nodded, exchanging grim glances. Lily put a hand protectively on her stomach, and James wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Dumbledore's expression saddened even more, but before James could fully analyse this puzzling progression, he was speaking again.

"James, you mentioned that your wands… did something strange?"

"Yes," James agreed, brow furrowing. "It really _was _strange. See, Voldemort had caught us unawares, and Disarmed us. When we said no to his demand, he was about to kill us."

"I don't know why we did it, but we both shouted spells," Lily chimed in. "It was the strangest thing. They seemed to _work."_

"But that should have been impossible," James said, taking up the narrative again. "Voldemort had our wands in his hand."

Interest sparkled in Dumbledore's blue eyes. "That _is _strange," he agreed. "But perhaps not quite as strange as you think."

In response to their curious glances, he went on, "What you witnessed is certainly unusual, but once one considers it, not nearly as impossible as it may sound. You see, survival is one of the most deeply-rooted instincts in any living being."

"That's true, but it's not enough to make our wands fly out of Voldemort's hands and towards us," Lily argued.

Dumbledore smiled. "Quite correct. No, what would have done the trick, I think, is your love for one another."

James raised his eyebrow sceptically, but Dumbledore just smiled and continued.

"Love, contrary to popular belief, is one of the most powerful forces on the planet. When you and Lily stood united against Voldemort, your love for one another burst out of you in, I would imagine, a surge of wandless magic."

_"Wandless magic?" _Lily echoed incredulously.

"Why, yes," Dumbledore said with a smile. "As I mentioned before, survival is one of the deepest instincts of the human being. I am certain that, upon facing what you thought would be your death, the two of you felt a powerful surge of love for one another. As you are both extremely talented magic users, this love allowed you to unlock, just for a moment, your capability towards wandless magic. Your survival instinct would have taken over and directed your magic towards Voldemort, knocking him flying and returning your wands to you."

James closed his mouth, aware that he had been gaping, stunned, at his former Headmaster.

"That's… pretty incredible," he said.

Dumbledore nodded, beaming. "I quite agree. But then, you and your wife are two incredible individuals."

James squeezed Lily's hand. "She certainly is."

"So are you," Lily said loyally, squeezing back.

"I love you," he murmured. "And I'm not saying that just because I want to do some more wandless magic, however awesome it may be."

"I know," Lily said, leaning into him. "And I love you too, wandless magic or no."

Dumbledore watched them hold each other with a sad smile on his face. _They really were made for one another._

* * *

**A/N: a long chapter again! It's been a while since we had one of those. I do hope you all liked it – and if you did, please do leave me a review! Reviews are amazing, and so are reviewers :)**


	30. Day 30 - Catch

**A/N: first of all, guys, I am so sorry for my long absence – I really had planned to have this story finished by now. But then Eskom, our country's wonderfully incompetent electricity provider, decided to cut our power for, I kid you not, five whole days. Needless to say, no writing happened then. **

**I'm going to see if I can finish this story once and for all before the family and I go on our annual Christmas holiday to the sea (fingers crossed I'll manage it, otherwise we'll all have to wait until January for that final chapter.) **

**But enough about me. **

**Now, as you know, I only have two chapters (including this one) of this fanfic left. Awful, right? I've absolutely loved doing this story. With that in mind, I can't quite bring myself to write another sad chapter. However, it can't be entirely happy either, given what happened in the previous chapter, so I've settled for a mixture. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

"Wake up, lazybones," Lily's playful voice sang in his ear.

James groaned and buried his head in the pillow.

"I made waffles," she went on tantalisingly. "With that berry sauce you like so much."

"Really?" he asked, sitting up at once.

Lily smirked at him. "No, not really. But there _is _someone here who'd like to see you."

"Oh come on, Lily!" he complained. "You can't do that!"

"Too late," she said, looking uncannily like Marlene as she smirked down at him. "I already did."

He grumbled a bit more, but dragged himself out of bed and into a pair of halfway-decent robes.

Of all the people he had expected to see in his kitchen on a Saturday morning, Dumbledore was pretty much bottom of the list.

Yet there he was, looking as benign and grandfatherly as ever in a set of midnight-blue robes and a twinkly-eyed smile.

_And he was eating a home-made waffle with berry sauce. _

"Lily, you traitor!" he shouted, spinning to face his wife, who was licking some waffle batter off a wooden spoon.

She paused guiltily, the spoon half-way to her lips. "What?" she asked in a masterful attempt at acting innocent.

"You told me you didn't make any waffles," he said, advancing as menacingly as he could in a scarlet dressing-gown with little golden Snitches on it.

Lily was clearly trying very hard not to laugh. "Merlin, James, you're so dramatic. There are some more waffles in the machine."

James relaxed. "Oh, that's all right, then."

He walked over to the waffle machine – a Muggle invention that he had to admit was quite genius – and prodded it with his wand. "Is it ready yet?"

"No," Lily said patiently. "It's ready when the little light goes green. See, it's orange at the moment."

She muttered something under her breath, probably _you'd think he would remember that by now – the sheer amount of times I've told him. _

But her smile as she looked across at him was fond, and he knew that while she pretended to be exasperated by his ignorance of Muggle devices, she really loved him all the more for it.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and James spun around guiltily, having entirely forgotten that he was even there in the first place.

Fortunately, Dumbledore didn't look too annoyed – rather, he was watching them both with the affectionate stare of a grandparent.

"James, Lily," he said, smiling across at them with just a trace of sadness. "I am so sorry to intrude –"

"Not at all," Lily said, waving him away. "It's a pleasure to have you."

"You are most kind," Dumbledore said, smiling at her. "And I must say, these waffles are simply delicious."

"Thank you," Lily said, blushing slightly, and James pressed a kiss to her temple, whispering _"__told you so__" _in her ear.

"What can we do for you, sir?" Lily asked, shaking James off and giving him a fond but mildly irritated look.

Dumbledore sighed. "I am afraid it is a question of what _I _can do for _you." _

James wrapped an arm around Lily, drawing her protectively close. "Oh?"

"Not so very long ago, I found out about a prophecy referring to, and I quote, the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord."

"Voldemort? But that's wonderful news!" Lily exclaimed, turning around to give James a delighted look, which he returned.

"It would be," Dumbledore said heavily. "But we believe the prophecy refers to a baby not yet born."

Lily's hand went instantly to her stomach, her face whitening. "I… I don't understand."

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches," _Dumbledore quoted. _"Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies."_

Understanding dawned, and James held Lily closer still, placing his hands over hers on her round stomach. _Thrice defied him – _as of yesterday, that applied to them. And their baby, their Harry… his due date was at the end of July.

"B-but how can our son have the power to… vanquish the Dark Lord?" Lily asked, her hands trembling on her stomach.

"The prophecy states that he will have power the Dark Lord knows not," Dumbledore explained. "I believe this refers to love."

"Love," Lily repeated, cradling her stomach.

"Never underestimate the power of love," Dumbledore reminded them. "If nothing else, the events of yesterday afternoon should assure you that it is a force to be reckoned with."

"I won't argue with you there," James said. "But how do you know you can trust this prophecy? Divination is a very… uncertain art."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed. "However, I have every reason to believe that this prophecy is genuine."

James bowed his head. If Dumbledore thought the prophecy was real, that meant it was.

"All right," Lily said, and James was relieved to note that she had stopped shaking. "All right. So the prophecy is real. But how can you know for sure it refers to our son?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Very astute of you. I do not, in fact, know for certain that the prophecy refers to your unborn child."

Lily practically collapsed in her relief – James tightened his hold on her waist and murmured sweet nothings soothingly in her ear.

"However," Dumbledore said, the word falling like a hammer blow. "The prophecy _could _refer to your child, as I am sure you can see, so we must take prompt steps as to your safety."

Lily was nodding even before he had finished speaking. "Anything to keep him safe," she said fiercely, her fingers wrapping tightly around James's and making a cradle for her belly.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, nodding at her. "After due consideration, I have come to the conclusion that your best hope of protection lies in the Fidelius Charm."

"Sirius can be our Secret-Keeper," James said immediately.

Dumbledore hesitated. "Mr Potter, are you sure –"

"If we can't trust Sirius, who can we trust? He's Secret-Keeper," James said firmly.

"As you wish," Dumbledore said, nodding at them. "Professor Flitwick will perform the charm first thing tomorrow morning, if that suits you."

"Good," James said, rubbing his thumb gently along the curve of Lily's stomach.

"Another thing," Dumbledore said.

James and Lily nodded in unison, looking at him expectantly.

"Lily, you can no longer perform missions for the Order, and James, you will be limited to contact-free missions," he said. "I trust I do not have to explain to you how devastating it would be if Lord Voldemort or his Death Eaters were to catch either of you."

James nodded reluctantly. He would miss going on proper missions, and he knew Lily would too, but if it meant Harry was safe, he would do it a thousand times over.

Dumbledore's smile was sad as he looked around the kitchen. "I wish circumstances were different, but I bid you farewell. I shall see you all tomorrow."

Tipping his hat at them, he turned on his heel and Apparated away.

James rested his cheek against Lily's. She sighed deeply, her breath tickling his ear.

"Do you think it means Harry?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I do know this."

Bending down, he put a hand on Lily's stomach. "I'm going to keep you safe. Both of you. I'll do whatever it takes."

* * *

**A/N: so, what did you guys think? Myself, I can't believe this story is so nearly over – only one more chapter to go! And after the ending of this chapter, things are looking more serious than ever. **

**I hope I'll see you guys tomorrow for the final chapter of _31 Days, 31 Drabbles. _**


	31. Day 31 - Ripe

**A/N: this is the very last chapter of 31 Days, 31 Drabbles. I can hardly believe it! I've had so much fun writing this challenge and developing these characters – ridiculous as it sounds to say, I really feel as though I know them both a lot better now. **

**It's not without a fair amount of nostalgia that I say – for the last time ever in this story, I might add – I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

"James?" Lily's voice was soft as it cut into his dreams. "James, can you help me with my slippers?"

"Er, what?" he asked, sitting up blearily.

Lily was perched on the end of the bed, a half-amused, half-exasperated expression on her face as she tried and failed to reach her slippers over her heavily pregnant stomach.

James leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Of course, love," he said, rolling off the bed and making his way to her side.

He slid the slipper onto her foot, grinning cheekily up at her. "A perfect fit."

Lily rolled her eyes, but there was far more affection in the gesture than anything else. "Get on with it, won't you?"

"As the lady wishes," he said, fitting the other slipper onto her foot and giving a dramatic bow, nearly toppling over onto his nose as he did so.

Lily snorted, eyes sparkling playfully. "Some prince you are."

"But you prefer me to some brutish, ugly knight in shining armour," he countered, offering his hand to help her stand.

She slapped it away. "I'm pregnant, not dying." But while there _was _exasperation in her voice, it was mostly affection, no denying it.

"Exactly," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and resting his hand protectively on her stomach.

Lily sighed, somehow managing to do it fondly. "You're going to be the best father, you know that, don't you?"

"And you're going to be the best mother," he said, kissing her temple lovingly.

But she didn't reply, instead dropping down on the bed and letting out a deep sigh, her hand rubbing soothing circles on her stomach.

"Lily!" he said, sitting next to her and brushing his thumb along her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"How can I be a good mother if I can't even protect my baby from a stupid prophecy?" she asked, looking up at him with her green eyes full of desperate sadness.

"We don't know for sure the prophecy means Harry," he said gently, pulling her close. "And even if it does, we still have _years _before it comes into effect."

"You think so?" she asked, hope glimmering in her eyes through the tears.

"Of _course,"_ he said firmly. "And as for that rubbish about not being able to protect Harry – don't be _ridiculous, _Lil, you're one of the best witches in the world."

"And I can't even put on my own slippers," she said dryly.

"Well, true, but you have me," he said, glad to return to their playful, affectionate banter.

"I do," she said, snuggling against his chest. "And you have me, even if I _do _resemble a ripe watermelon at the moment."

"Everyone knows the ripe ones are the best kind," he reminded her, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "And no offence, but you're far too _red _to be a watermelon."

"Hey, I have green eyes," she protested, widening them at him for dramatic effect. "And _everyone _knows watermelons are red on the inside."

"All right, all right, you win," he said, raising his hands in playful surrender. Lily sighed contentedly and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Let's just stay here, like this, for a while," she said, her voice half-muffled by his shirt.

"Fine by me," he said softly, tracing gentle patterns on her cheek. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Of course I know that," she said, reaching up and covering his hand with hers. "And I love you."

James rested his cheek against Lily's, wrapping an arm around her round stomach, and felt pure, perfect contentment, because as long as they had each other, all was well.

* * *

**A/N: and that, guys, at long last marks the end of 31 Days, 31 Drabbles. I couldn't bring myself to write James and Lily's deaths, not after all the development I've gone through with them in this fic, so I'm ending it here – where everyone is safe, alive and happy. **

**A huge thank-you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and favourited this story – sappy as it sounds to say, it really means _so much _to me. I really can't thank you all enough, and I sincerely hope I'll see you guys when I do this challenge again next year.**

**Speaking of, I'm going to be doing a different pairing (i.e. Harry/Ginny) next year, so if you have any requests or suggestions, feel free to PM me about them. I'd love to hear from you guys and what you want to read!**

**And now, partially because I can't quite make myself say goodbye to this challenge quite yet, and partially because I can never say no to a bit of shameless self-advertising: **

**I will start publishing a new, Christmas-themed Jily and Blackinnon fic called _A Christmas Wish_ fairly soon. It's written in honour of (and in the style of, LOL) all those soppy Christmas romances currently circulating on Netflix. If you like the sound of it, please do check it out one of these days. **

**Also, I'll be posting some random Christmassy one-shots, so if you have any prompts, requests or suggestions, again, feel free to PM me. **

**I think I have now stalled the inevitable for more than enough time: _31 Days, 31 Drabbles _is officially over. Thank you all again, so, so much, for your patience and kind words. I really do hope to see at least some of you in my other stories. **

**A very good day to you all. ~ Lynn**

**UPDATE (because I just can't leave well enough alone, can I?) : if anybody notices any typos or grammar mistakes in this story, please, _please _point them out to me - I really try my best to catch them, but nobody's perfect, and I _detest _typos and grammar mistakes. Thank you very much to everyone who has done this so far - as a fellow grammar perfectionist, I will love you forever for pointing them out. Thanks :)**


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